Tell me a Joke
by NinaKard69
Summary: Chaos comes in many forms, and one had come in the form of a man. Joker/OC
1. Chapter 1

**AN**_: If you checked out my profile, you'll see that I was thinking about writing the Joker a story. And so I have. I'm currently finishing Chapter Two, and I really wanted to get it out here already for you viewers. So, tell me if I should continue it or if you find anything not Joker-ish in this story, and I'll stop or improve. Much thanks!_

**Disclaimer**_: Do you know how much I want to own the Joker? Do you? But, sadly, I own nothing, exceeeeeeeept, Katherine van Hugh and other unknown characters and the plot. And no, I don't make money out of this like who'd even do that? Psssht... *awkwardly looks away*_

_Ok. Sorry. Let's get to the point, shall we?_ :)

Tell me a Joke

Chapter One

-x-

Katherine van Hugh lazily sat in an office chair, twirling it around in circles, not really caring how her stomach was deciding against the act.

She sighed, biting at the butt of the pen with her teeth, leaving teeth marks on the cheap blue pen, and not caring a bit as her thoughts drifted in and out.

She needed a hobby. That was first and the most important, because it brought distraction and, sweet Lord, she really needed it at the moment before her head exploded with boredom.

Exploded. She thought, a lazy half smile forming on her lips. How long has it been since heard that booming sound? Oh so _loooong_ ago, she pouted, feeling her shoulders sag. She really needed to hear that sound. She needed to feel alive again. She needed _him_.

And that was the exact reason why she needed a distraction. Or distractions. Anything!

These thoughts were going to drive her crazy, and soon enough she'd find herself behind bars. If only I could share a cell with _him_, she pouted again, this time her entire body nearly sliding down the chair in depression.

It was so much fun when he was in Gotham, bombing it here and there, creating explosions and chaos. It was so lively, and right now Gotham was as dead as hell, her life going back to its boring, stupid routine.

Who'd want to wake up everyday at 6:00 in the morning, eat cheap cereal out of a box (sometimes with no milk), and go to a work that drained the living soul out of her?

Katherine worked as a waitress in this piece of dump of a small building, carrying food and heeding to people's needs. Sometimes, she really hated it here. Hated it even more when drunken dumbasses came in and acted in a very uncivilized way, grabbing asses from this corner to the other, sometimes even hers. She really wanted to smash a plate at their heads, if she hasn't done that already.

Sighing, she stopped the twirling of her chair and decided to lean on the table, resting her chin on her hands.

When the Joker was here, when he was bringing Gotham to _life_, Katherine could only thank God. Sure, innocents died. But they do every day. Sure, places got destroyed, but they'd be rebuilt again. They already were. What they could not do, however, was bring the sheer excitement of being close to death, strolling alongside danger, feeling adrenaline take its toll as you run from one place to the other. They could never make her feel that way. Ever. Only he. The Joker, only he and he alone could make her feel like she wasn't wasting her life in a dump hole (which she obviously was), giving a meaning to her life, even if it was a chase.

The GCPD was shaking when he'd made an entrance to their lives, they were scared, not knowing how to deal with the sudden ring of chaos. And if they were afraid, where did that leave the civilians?

How many times did Katherine have to evacuate her flat because her life was threatened by one of Joker's explosions? Countless. Even then, she was glad she was doing _something_. Like before, even if it was a simple running. She loved the difference it made in her life, loved it in every way possible, and loved it more because in the morning she wouldn't have to go to her boring job, getting her ass smacked at ever corner.

He'd changed her, even if he didn't know she existed. But he would, she nodded, she'd make sure of it.

Katherine grew up in an orphanage, and escaped when she was of eight years. She hated it there. Especially the food and how they had to sleep early. And so she had run, trying to find her home in the ruined streets of Gotham city. Her life was quite exciting back then, she now noticed with a frown. But she had to settle somewhere and so she had, she's been working here for years, she didn't even remember her earliest small jobs. But she did remember how to take care of herself from dangerous people and places, and couldn't be more proud of herself.

After collecting enough money to buy that crappy flat of hers, Katherine didn't feel the effort to strive higher. She lived a lonely life, no family, friends, or even good neighbours. Just the screaming silence. She never truly talked to anyone except when she had no choice. And so, since then, her world has been the same. Gloomy, lazy, dull and tiring.

Until Joker.

She nearly smiled as his face surfaced to her thoughts. Dark eyes, white face, greasy blonde hair, and a wide red smile that stretched from one ear to the other. Her chest constricted with something and the words '_oh, so beautiful_' washed over her muddled thoughts.

She didn't know why she liked, or rather loved, what he did. Perhaps she liked the danger he brought with himself since she grew up in a dangerous world herself. Perhaps he knew how to have fun while she lived her dull and boring life. Perhaps he was the change she was convincing herself of. Yes, perhaps...

Or maybe she was just crazy since she did actually suffer Neurosis.

Katherine released an exhausted breath out, fanning the papers next to her. The door to the office suddenly opened, causing her to lift her gaze in weariness. Her manager halted when he spotted her, the papers from his hand nearly slipping down. She pursed her lips.

"What are you doing here?" Cole asked, his aged-by-time face twisting into a frown. Katherine got up from the chair, and walked around the table, crossing her arms as she shrugged.

"Resting." She answered. Cole rubbed his temples in sudden tiredness. "I have told you many times not to come inside here, go back to your work. Now," he gritted out. "Go."

Cole was the only person she forced herself to talk to, and that was only when she did this exact thing; coming into his office for some time out from work.

"Worried that I might steal something?" She arched her brow instead. Cole looked fumed, his lips forming into a tight line. Yeah, he really did think that even when she had done this a thousand times and never, not even once, stole something from this room. "I sense so much trust here," she dryly muttered, uncrossing her arms. "I've been working here for years, Cole. Why do you do this?"

Shaking her head, Katherine bolted to the door, feeling sort of betrayed. She went out the office, walking through the small, narrow hallway before she entered the not so spacious room. Wooden, nearly breaking, warren out tables rounded the corners, being supported by not so nice either wooden chairs. The ground was marbled with black and white, some irremovable black scratches and stains decorating its surface.

She tightened the apron around her waist, clearing her throat as she went to doing her serving job.

It wasn't until hours later, Katherine went to cleaning the small café, only a few people remaining. And those were the drunken, chuckling, egoistical fools who thought they now ruled Gotham after Joker's disappearance.

Currently, she was mopping the stained marbled floor, her features far from being seen in the not at all glassy reflection.

Sighing, she wiped at the sweat forming on her forehead and leaned on the mops wooden stick for support. Only four people worked here, and they were the cook, the bartender, her (the amazing assistant), and her manager, Cole.

While Tasha, the bartender did her job from behind the stance, it was Katherine's job to serve and clean. The cook obviously prepared the meals, and Tasha cleaned whatever was behind the bar stance. And that involved the dishes. Katherine liked the mopping better.

"Hey, sweetheart," one of the drunken idiots whistled out, catching her attention. "More beers, over here."

Grunting a not so decent reply, she went to grab them beer. After Tasha giving her the three bottles, she made her way to their table. They all watched her intently as she placed the beers on the table. Katherine ignored them and kept her gaze lowered. One of them reached out and touched a strand of her silky ebony hair. She instantly snapped away, her gaze narrowing, and her lips pursing. They all chuckled.

"Sit with us, sugar," one of them asked, shamelessly grabbing her behind. Nearly gasping, Katherine slapped his hand away, her other hand going to the pencil in her apron. She'd stab this dumbass with a pencil if it meant saving herself from such harassment.

"_Oooh_," he cackled, his breath drifting to her face, making her wonder if someone died in there. She refused to breathe until the stinky air cleared out of her face. "Such a feisty one, this one."

"Get out if you're done," she glared out. Then, they all burst out laughing, grabbing their stomachs' from the pressure. Katherine found nothing funny in her words.

"Yes, feisty," one licked his lips, his gaze roaming her body up and down. Then, she really did grab the pencil. They eyed her, one smirking.

Katherine narrowed her eyes before stalking back, towards her mop. She mumbled few words to herself, still hating the idiots and the place, and got back to scrubbing.

When it was close to midnight, the thugs decided it was time to leave. And that really pissed her off because she couldn't go unless all the customers left. Even with the door sign saying CLOSED, these idiots thought they were the shit. They weren't, but they were shit.

It didn't come as a surprise when they didn't pay for their meal-they always did that-and every time Katherine would protest. They'd first warn her off by showing their guns and knives and afterwards knowing she didn't give two shits, they'd show her.

Tonight was no different. Katherine protested and she earned another cut on her arm. It wasn't deep but it hurt, just like the other ones they'd given her every time she rebelled. What else could she do? Their money is what kept her alive, and if they didn't pay, that'd mean she'd receive less salary due to less payment.

They kicked her on the side as well, surely leaving a large bruise. She now winced as she held her side, trying to make her way through the cold, dangerous streets of Gotham city. But they had thrown about fifteen dollars on her, paying three times less than the original price. Well, whatever. She was at least heading home for the night.

It was a good thing she didn't encounter other thieves and thugs in the Narrows. She sighed, trying to get in her apartment.

Twisting the key, she turned the knob and went inside her dark home. She turned on the lights and what seemed like a small living room greeted her. But it was actually her entire house.

In front of her was her bed, the head side sticking to the far wall vertically. To her right was her closet, to her left was shelves that contained all sort of things, and beyond her wooden closet was the entrance to her bathroom.

To her bed's right was a small kitchenette with a small fridge resting on its side, to its left was a lamp and her very old TV, and above her bed was a window with flower pots hanging from its outside.

The walls were actually painted red, matching the cupboards of her kitchenette, and her floor was freezing cold stone. She put a few cheap brown carpets, matching her closet, and wore her fluffy slippers almost all the time.

Sighing, she took off her coat and hanged it on the hanger next to the shelves, and slipped out of her combat boots. Wincing, she gently massaged her side, feeling her ribs cry out in pain. Damn her rebelling side. But that side was the only reason she made it till today, so she couldn't really hate on it.

She was slightly freezing and since her home didn't have a heater, Katherine decided to take a quick five minute warm shower. She made sure not to linger any longer, because remember, Kat, the more you do the more you pay, she lectured herself.

She stripped, throwing her dirty clothes on the basket outside her bathroom, thinking she'd have to go downstairs and do laundry in the buildings laundry room. Probably tomorrow or something.

After her five minutes bath, Katherine hurried to her closet in attempts to grab a black sweater and sweatpants. She quickly wore her grey underpants and her clothes and jumped on the bed, going under the three layers of warm blankets.

She chattered a bit, her toes freezing, before the warmth sizzled its way into her body, calming her. She lay on her side, resting her palm below her head, and thought to herself.

Where was the Joker?

Katherine's thoughts were always about him when she was alone, especially at night. What was he doing? Was he alright? Would he come back to Gotham again?

Her body shrank deeper into the covers, thinking that was highly improbable with the Batman around. She had nothing against Batman, really, but she didn't like how he was the reason to why Joker left. But now, Batman has also abandoned Gotham, no longer watching over the city like the guardian he was. It has been, what, almost five months since his disappearance?

Yeah, well, she never thought this symbol of his would last, anyways. Good things never lingered. Someway, somehow, they'd leisurely slip away from your clasp before you realized they even existed in the first place.

Katherine lay on the bed, watching the plain wall with disinterest. Usually, she fell asleep right away, too damn tired to even think about her favourite person in the world, the Joker. But such nights also meant something else, something that in a way brought serenity to her hateful, dull life.

Painting.

Throwing the covers away with an unneeded force, she made a move to rise. Wearing her fluffy slippers, she strode next to the shelves. Grabbing onto one of her three blank canvases, paint brushes, paints, and easel to support her canvas up, she made her way next to the window.

The stream of moonlight lurking into her room always calmed her, bringing serenity to her mind before she started twisted her wrist elegantly from one side to the other, leisurely painting what bothered or fascinated her. Maybe even feared. It really depended on her mood.

Humming, she rested the canvas up, calmly twisting the caps of the paints open. Katherine admired messy art, so instantly she grabbed the black paint.

Licking her lips, she exhaled, gently tipping the brush into the slimy paint. Rising it to the canvas, she started sketching a skyline. From there on, she thought no more. From there on, she let her imagination take over, her feelings, her hands. Her mind went blank as she released the depression, anxiety, and dullness of her day into the innocent canvas.

Her hands started to increase their pace as her brows furrowed, her concentration deepening. The brush swished from one side to the other, wetting the surface with different colours. Soon, she dropped the brushes all together and used her fingers. Dipping them into red paint, she skilfully smeared a gleeful, sick smile on a very familiar face. She smiled back at him, liking the little connection between them.

Tilting her neck to the side, she hummed, smearing the red paint on luscious lips like lipstick. Katherine didn't know what but she mumbled a few things to herself, to him, and even to the paints, trying really hard not to let this sudden feeling go.

She didn't know how many times she switched her weight from one foot to the other, or how long she stayed there with her spine bended, or even how long she watched the painted canvas after she was finished, her eyes glued to her own piece.

Unknown feelings spiralled within her chest like a thunderstorm, not making it easy for her to just tear her gaze away.

There he stood, his lips curving into a deadly smile, his shoulders hunched, but most importantly, his eyes burning with mischievousness, death, and merriment. From the times she watched him on GCN, when he sent threatening videos as a message to the people of Gotham, Katherine had always looked at his eyes. Eyes that were dark and hazardous and straight out crazy, but also brilliant and glassy with razor sharp knowledge in the unknown. They held such mystery that she was shocked and pleased at the same time that she had not missed to express them into his eyes. Now he stared at her with intensity that she didn't even know she could paint.

Her eyes roamed at his background, and was slightly surprised at what was going on there. The city of Gotham was exploding, the buildings falling, fire rising, and people dying. And he stood right in the middle, the choreographer of this deadly dance, and smirked as if pleased in a job well done.

She _loved_ it so much.

Katherine's eyes blurred as hot tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. This was the best painting she'd ever painted in her whole, ugly and disappointing, life. She touched her chest, where her heart was beating, and patted herself in a job well done, as well.

A sudden yawn broke from her throat and ruined the intimate moment, making her curse. Stretching, she shuffled to her bed and threw herself on top of it, mumbling incoherent things and falling deep asleep.

-x-

Katherine's eyes suddenly snapped open, a sudden tremor rocking her body. She groaned, feeling goose bumps rise and her body go cold.

Sleepily, she reached for her blankets, and once she got a grip on one, she lazily splayed it over her. She rolled inside it like a sandwich, feeling a slight hint of warmth sizzle its way inside her skin.

She yawned once her body stopped its tremors, and slowly attempted to rise. Wait, what time was it? Not caring about the cold, Katherine jolted up, the cover falling to her waist. She gasped when she glanced at her window and at the sun rays happily seeping inside. She felt a hot ray on her right shoulder and nearly sighed in bliss.

The sun was hot when it was at its highest... that meant... shit. It was most probably in the afternoon! "No," she bit her lip, instantly rising. Katherine cursed when she stumbled down her bed due to the blankets hugging her waist and fell hard on the floor with a loud thud. She cried out.

"Cole, don't kill me," she said, already imagining his scolding face. Getting up, Katherine stripped on the way, rushing to the bathroom for a five minutes bath.

Moments later, she emerged, her toothbrush hanging from her mouth. She ransacked her closet for clothes, and knowing she could choose anything to wear, Katherine still stood there, her finger on her chin, as she thought of an outfit.

She grabbed black jeans and shirt and a grey jacket. Wearing them, she put on her combat boots while hopping all the while. Grabbing her keys and phone, she swung her door open and leapt outside. After a second, she rushed back in, cursing at herself for forgetting the toothbrush still hanging from her mouth. The paste literally burned the inside of her mouth as she quickly spat it out. Rinsing her mouth clean and toothbrush, she closed the water running into the sink and headed out of her bathroom and apartment.

Katherine ran through the small hallway and nearly shoved Lindsey, her neighbour, down the stairs.

"Woah! Watch it!" She retorted. Katherine mumbled a 'sorry' that was barely even audible. She stomped down the stairs and onto the first floor before she was met by another person. She barely dodged her way through with the person leaping out of the way as though she was some speeding truck. Katherine felt a blush form but she dismissed it.

"Careful, woman. Not in a Saturday morning," the man muttered to himself. Katherine came to a sudden halt, the momentum nearly sending her on her face. She whipped around. "What did you just say?" She walked up to the walking figure of the man.

"Huh?" The man turned, facing her. "Wait, what day is it?" She asked. The man looked at her for a heartbeat before answering, "it's, uh, Saturday?" He said it as a question rather than a statement. Maybe it had something to do with Katherine literally invading his personal space and gaping up at him in a serial killer sort of way.

Sudden wash of happiness erupted in her chest and she nearly jumped up and down in relief. And nearly hit herself for her idiocy, as well. It was Saturday, the weekend has started, so she had a day off. Tomorrow she'd be back at the restaurant, but today...

"Oh my God!" She squeaked out with wide eyes, literally scaring the hell out of the man. He instantly backed away. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" She suddenly snapped. He halted. "Come here," she grinned, splaying her arms wide open for a hug. He was so confused. Katherine hugged the man tightly, shocking him.

"May God bless you and your family and may all your dreams come true and may you be wealthy and healthy amen," she babbled out in happiness as she withdrew and skipped her way out of the building.

The sudden warmth of the sun hugged at her and she splayed her arms wide and twirled, nearly slapping a pedestrian in the face.

She made an apologetic face and scrambled away.

Katherine spend her day walking around Gotham city, bathing below the sun's shimmering rays and relishing in the feeling. She randomly greeted people or smiled at them, and to her surprise, they didn't respond. Pursing her lips, she had continued on with a light mood. Very ironic for a person who suffered Neurosis, but she didn't let that drown her.

The sun was setting and Katherine was surprised she hadn't felt exhaustion cripple its way up her body or not realizing the time fly. "Damn," she muttered, knowing the streets of Gotham were very dangerous when the sun set, especially in the Narrows. Sighing, she grabbed her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans to check the time.

Before she could have a glance at the screen, someone came from behind and sneakily snatched the phone away from her clasp. The sudden act took a while to register in her brain before, finally, she let out a, "H-Hey!"

The thug was running away from her, crossing the street as he did so. Sprinting into action herself, she ran after him. She was _not_ going to buy a new phone.

"Hey, you!" She shouted, causing the thug to turn his head slightly. "Yeah, you!" She pointed as she ran, "Stop! Right now!"

The thug did not.

Her sides started to burn as she started to pant. "He stole my phone!" She told the people as she ran, "somebody help!"

No one did. Bastards.

Guess it was only her then.

The thug looked back to check if she was still chasing him, and seeing that she was, he cursed and increased his pace. Oh, hell no.

Katherine increased hers as well, air barely making its way into her aching lungs. Her throat was dry and it _hurt_ to inhale.

The sun was vanishing behind the buildings, she noticed with dread. It sent its final rays on the streets of Gotham, trying to give it a reassuring light before, gently, slipping down the buildings and disappearing for good.

Darkness dawned.

The thug abruptly turned towards an alleyway, forcing Katherine to follow suit. She turned on her heels and rushed into the dark space and nearly run into the waiting form of the thug.

She instantly jumped back before her stomach could meet the sharp point of the knife he was wielding towards her. She panted, her chest scarily rising up and down as she eyed the weapon with caution. She lifted her lashes to look him in the eyes.

"How nice," she hissed out barely catching her breath. He eyed her with disinterest, thinking of ways to get rid of her fast. "Thought you could escape, huh?" She narrowed her eyes.

He chuckled, pissing her off.

"Yeah," he shrugged before launching himself at her. Katherine moved out of the way, and went low to avoid the sharp edge of the knife. He moved the knife swiftly at her throat trying to slice her, but of course she wouldn't let him. Barely dodging, the knife cutting her shoulder, she skipped out of his reach. She let a small cry escape her lips as the pain of the cut made itself known.

"Like that, baby?" The thug smugly grinned. Not wasting another second, she double wacked him in the face, forcing his jaw to snap up. He howled and she took advantage of that time to aim a punch at his revealed throat. He choked out, instantly grabbing his neck. His trachea would've cracked if she had kicked. Damn, why didn't she?

Before she could move, he launched himself at her, eyes flaring with madness. He thrust her against the hard fall, causing air to abandon her lungs. Her vision swayed a little before she saw his face in her line of sight. He pointed the knife at her throat, pressing hard. He would've sliced her in half if it weren't for her hands trying to pry him away from her.

She inhaled as the knife neared the soft flesh of her throat, and exhaled when she barely pushed it away. The thug pressed against her in attempts to stop her from escaping. She hissed through her teeth as the cold steel pressed against her throat. Thinking fast, she hastily brought her knee up, aiming him in the groin.

He groaned loudly and toppled over, grabbing his lower body. She kicked out, aiming his face and snapping it to the left. Blood oozed out of his mouth as he fell on the ground. Katherine walked up to him, and before she could kick out again, he caught her in the ankles, making her lose her balance.

Wobbling, she fell on the floor, barely shielding her face from aiming the solid ground. The thug wasted no time as he got on top of her, roughly grabbing her by her hair and thrusting her head back. She winced as she felt the knife at her throat. Concentrating all her strength in her elbow, she planted a sweet kiss on his ribs, making his clasp loosen. Taking advantage of that, Katherine thrust her head back, aiming him on the forehead.

The contact made her skull release the worst tremor ever before dulling into a numbing agony. She cried out at the pain and grabbed her head, trying to get her vision straight.

The thug toppled back, grabbing his head as well. "You dumb bitch!" He ground out. Turning to her back, she kicked a leg out, slamming it against his stomach. He fell on his behind with a groan.

She jumped to her feet and fell right back down when he kicked at her ankles. She scrambled away before he could stab her. The knife made contact with her left arm and she whimpered, feeling her tissues tear.

"Come here, baby, where you goin'?" He gritted out, rising. Before she could get up as well, he reached her, swiftly grabbing one shoulder and turning her. He sliced at her arm again, causing a cry to escape her lips.

Before he could attack her again, she rolled out of the way, going up to her knees. He snarled like an animal and launched at her. Katherine abruptly rose and carelessly stepped forward to plant a fist in his face. The biggest mistake of her life.

Before she could stop herself, her hand flew forward, trying to aim his face, but he swiftly moved out of the way and came right at her.

Right then, everything seemed to move in slow motion, and Katherine found herself releasing a raspy breath out before a sickening sound of a knife slamming against flesh greeted her ears.

Wide eyed, she stared at his face. She stood like that for a while, looking at his face, half afraid of what was to greet her, before, finally, she gazed down.

His hand, formed into a tight fist, held the knife that rested in her belly. She felt hot, burning blood ooze out and wet her shirt and pants. He thrust the knife out, leaving a scorching feeling in its wake. Katherine couldn't form any words, was _afraid_ to form words, as she shakily rested her palm against her bleeding stomach.

Nausea made its way up her throat as her head swam and her knees weakened. She gulped, looking up at the thug. Dumbly, he stared at her back, the knife still in his hand, loosely pointed at her direction. Oh, she wasn't going down like this.

While he was distracted by what he had done, Katherine focused all her remaining energy into her hands, and attacked.

He was so slow to register what was happening and when he did, it was rather too late. Grabbing his wrist with both hands, with needed push, she twisted his hand to the back and shoved really hard, making the knife pierce his chest.

Bewildered, he gazed at her, at the knife, then right back up at her. Katherine stared back, blood gurgling out from both of their lips. They stayed like that for quite a while, still trying to register what they've both done.

Katherine was the first to snap out of it as she hastily moved back, driving the knife out of his chest. The thug instantly dropped to his knees, then, looking at her, he fell face forward on the solid ground. A sickening sound greeted her ears as she stood there petrified.

Right then, Katherine knew he was dead. Murdered. By _her_ hands.

Tears burned her vision as she weakly grabbed her stomach, trying to add pressure to the wound so it would stop its fast bleeding.

"I-I'm so sorry," she whispered, covering her mouth with the hand that wielded the knife. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she stepped aside, nearly collapsing on the floor like him if it weren't for the wall. "_So_ sorry."

This was her first kill and, oh God, it was horrible.

_Murderer_!

Her inner voice cried out. _You murderer_!

Crying, Katherine stumbled out of the way and away from his dead body. What has she done? She had to get out of here, she decided next, she had to escape. Sick to her bleeding stomach, with all her might, even if it meant crawling, Katherine shuffled out of the alleyway weakly. She used the wall as support as she made it to the dark streets of Gotham, her phone completely forgotten.

-x-

Katherine slipped in and out of conscious, her mind hazy and vision blurry. She grunted, the tang of blood drifting to her nostrils and filling her mouth. She wasn't sure if she spat it out or swallowed it. Feeling nauseous, she swayed from one side to the other, her legs wobbling and nearly sending her toppling to the floor.

She kept her balance in a weak manner, her palms resting on the walls to her sides, trying to keep herself upright.

One moment, Katherine felt the cold wind of the streets, and the next, she found herself entering a building. It was dark inside, or maybe it was the black clouds clouding her vision, she wasn't sure.

She found herself staring at walls, then stairs, then walls again. Feeling her head loll to the side, she leaned against the wall, drawing blood on them. Shuffling heavily to the end of the hallway, Katherine found herself opening a door. She was so tired, her body weighing hundred pounds. Her eyes scanned the small entrance as her subconscious searched for something it knew was there.

Pressing a hand against her stomach and whimpering, Katherine stumbled inside, her head meeting something smooth. From there on, everything went pitch black.

Sudden scream of a female brought Katherine to her senses, and she grumbled, her body incredibly heavy for her to move.

"Oh, God..." she heard the female utter once more, the sound much closer this time. Katherine found it hard to crack her eyes open, it felt as though her lids were knitted together. A small cry escaped her lips in fear for the worst.

"Katherine, look at me-" the female babbled. Katherine tried-oh, _how_ she tried-to obey her. To follow the voice. She wanted to look at the face, but the darkness pulled at her savagely, and she found herself drowning in it.

"-You need a doc-" the voice trailed on. Katherine tried to fight the darkness pulling at her senses, but she found herself sinking deeper. _Help_, she tried to make out, but nothing escaped her lips except the cries of pain.

"-I'll help y-" the voice said, or so Katherine heard. "-What have you done to yourself-" she mumbled on.

Katherine tried to shake her head. "-_Why_ would _you_ do this to yourself-" it accused her.

No, she tried to say, no, _please_. No. The darkness swept her in its twirling cyclone and Katherine found herself losing it. She screamed, desiring to reach the summit. But the darkness won. She drowned.

-x-

Her glued lids at last decided to part as conscious seeped into her senses, awakening her for a few heartbeats. Katherine's head lolled from one side to the other as she tried her best not to allow her eyeballs to roll back in her head. She mumbled a few incoherent words as she tried to explain what had happened to her, that _she_ wasn't the one at fault. No words came out of her sore throat, and it hurt to even breathe.

Katherine saw lights above her, passing as though she was being carted. Maybe she was. She was lying down, her body moving past white walls and doors in quick speed. Wheels twirled from below her, squeaking as it made turns towards other white rooms. The lights above her hurt her eyes so she tightly closed them, hearing sudden chatter erupt next to her.

"-What happened to-"

"-I don't know, I found her-"

"-We need to get her to the ER-"

"-Mickey, prepare the tools-"

"-She's losing too much blood, someone-"

Katherine groaned, hating the voices more than anything. They were so _loud_. Feeling the darkness creep on her again, Katherine willingly submitted, and after a few heartbeats, she drifted away.

-x-

Screaming, Katherine jolted upwards, her body releasing sudden pangs of piercing pain. She screamed at that too.

Her vision was blurry, and her mind yet to register what was going on, or where she was. She just knew that she had to get away from the thug. It wasn't her fault, tears blurred her vision, worsening it. Please, it wasn't her fault.

Getting up from whatever she lay on, Katherine stumbled down, her knees smacking against marbled floor. She cried out, suddenly grabbing at her stomach. Everything was white and it was pissing her off. She shakily got to her feet, hastily scanning the area. She knew she was half dreaming, not fully awakened. Not yet. But her body surged on, her brain commanding she leave.

And leave she would.

"Somebody hold her!" One voice boomed from behind her. She didn't have time to look back as strong hands grabbed her by the arms. What-No!

"Katherine, lay down!" It commanded her. She violently shook her head, fearing they've found her. That they'd blame her.

With all her might, she fought the one holding her. The person cursed, commanding others to get a hold on her. Finally, Katherine screamed, violently thrashing away from them.

"It wasn't my fault!" She cried out. "Please, understand!"

They wouldn't let her go.

"LET ME GO!" Her voice pierced the entire room with its wavelength, maybe even shaking the walls. "Let. Me. Go!"

She send a fist flying to her back, aiming the person in the face. Blood covered her knuckles as she stared at it, knowing she broke the person's nose. The sudden memories of the thug surfaced to her brain and she shook with such tremor, Katherine was surprised she was still standing.

She heard a howl from behind her, realizing the person suffering her sudden blow. "Put her out!" It said, shocking her Katherine. No, no. No! She will not be put out!

Fighting back, Katherine pushed her way through, trying to get away from the bodies nearing her. Hands suddenly grabbed her from her sides, arms, and limbs, enabling any movement to be made. Panic made its way past her throat, causing her to cry out in fear.

She tried to fight yet again, but the sudden pierce of something pointy against her butt made her stop. She grunted in response, trying to shake the stinging feeling off, but realized her vision blurring. Her mind swayed and her body felt too heavy for her to carry, or better yet, handle.

The feeling made her feel as though she was high and in the midst of fluttery clouds. N_iiiiii_ce. Grumbling something weird, Katherine went into a deep sleep.

-x-

"Katherine van Hugh, can you hear me?" a lilting voice broke through her black, heavy barriers. She moaned in distress, feeling her conscious creep in and awakening her from this very comforting sleep. She refused to budge. "Leave me... alone," she grumbled and shifted in bed to get away from the voice.

"I need you to wake up, can you do that?"

She frowned, leisurely feeling slumber abandon her. "Katherine?" It stubbornly insisted this time. Grunting, she flew right up, shouting, "What?!"

The person took a few steps back, and before she could do anything, her vision went dark for a couple of seconds. Katherine put a hand on her head, groaning in pain for the dizziness to take its leave already. What the hell was wrong with her?

Dark spots at last faded away, allowing her vision to regain itself. With the dizziness still enact, she sleepily eyed the room. Everything was a maddening white, white walls, ceiling and floor. Even the bed she lay on possessed white sheets and blanket. The only difference was...

Katherine gasped loudly, her eyes gaping wide. Her uniform was orange. What... the...

Panic rose inside her like a raging fire, consuming her mind and thoughts with ideas for the worst. She eyed her uniform and hastily ran her hands over it, making sure this wasn't some sick dream. Unfortunately, it wasn't. They were real.

Anger lashed at him, making her head snap in fury at the people before her. "What. Have. You. Done. With. ME?" She gritted out.

They looked baffled but quickly regained their composure, the person to her front elegantly clasping his hand before him. He wore a white robe and behind him stood guards in black uniform with-wait, was that a?-Katherine inhaled sharply, eyeing their rifles.

"Katherine van Hugh, is it?" the person wearing the white robe asked. She glared at him. "No, fucking Batman, retard."

The doctor's eye muscle twitched, his eyes slightly narrowing. "Do you know where you are, Katherine?" He calmly asked. Katherine ran her gaze over the white room, trying to come up with an answer. She glared at her uniform, up at him, then back at her uniform.

"I'm wearing an orange suit. Either this is prison or..." she gulped, feeling her throat tighten. She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Or Arkham Asylum," the doctor finished. Her eyes widened. "Say what?" she instantly threw her legs over the mattress and stood. _The_ Arkham Asylum? For the criminally _insane_? The guards behind him stiffened, their hands reaching for the taizor clasped on their belt. She paid them no heed as she neared the doctor.

"Katherine van Hugh, you are now a patient of Arkham Asylum. You suffer Neurosis, and your illness has taken a dangerous turn, and not for to the better, I might say."

Katherine could only gape at him with her brows furrowed.

"The effect of Neurosis has caused DSH, thus you're a danger to yourself and others close to you."

"What?" Katherine spat out, clearly finding this hysterical. DSH? Were they out of their stupid, judgemental minds? The doctor continued as though he wasn't interrupted in the first place.

"My name is Doctor Rhodes, Dr. Michael Rhodes."

"I don't give a damn about your name. Get me out of here!" Katherine growled out.

"I'll be your doctor from this point on," he continued with a poker face, his voice calm. That really infuriated her. Who the hell did they think they were?! "Your situation is very critical, thus we've concluded you'd be participating in therapy classes."

"Wait, you're saying I should see a psychiatrist?" Katherine pointed her index finger to the ground in an accusing manner. The doctor nodded. "Talking about your feelings might help you."

"I don't need help!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air as though they were insane. Well, they clearly were for putting her in here. "I'm not sick, you bastard!"

The doctor stood coolly, not baffled at all this time. "Everyone sick claims that, Katherine. But we, I, know from experience that that is the first clue hinting us you are, indeed, ill."

"Then you clearly lack experience, doctor. Get me out of here, right now. Or I'll call my lawyer and press charges. You have no right to do this!" Katherine prayed they didn't already know she didn't have a lawyer. She never had one. But they clearly didn't have the rights to do this!

"We've run a background check on you, Miss van Hugh, and a supportive lawyer was not included. But it is alright, we can help you. We will help you." He added more sternly. Katherine huffed, crossing her arms over her middle. "The only way you can help me is by getting me outta here." She glared at him. Michael sighed, shaking his head. "That is highly improbable."

"Why?" she exclaimed again, "what makes you think I self-harmed myself, ha?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow to her body, making Katherine slowly look at the scars and cuts in her arms. She swallowed. Ok, this looked very, _very_ wrong. "Alright, listen here, Mr. I-Can-Help-You. These are clearly not done by me. I received them like months ago by these bastards who thought they ruled the world, yada yada. Anyways," she nervously blabbered on. "The new ones, those I... I..." she trailed on, her voice dropping to a whisper. She-what?-received them before she killed some thug in cold blood?

"Yes?" the doctor looked at her, not really buying her story. Why was he giving her that look, dammit! "I received them when... w-hen I..." damn, damn. Damn! Talk, van Hugh.

The doctor looked at her, tossing her a knowing look. She literally snarled at him. "No! I did not do this to myself, you sick fuck! I would never do this to myself, even though I suffer Neurosis, which, by the fucking way, you have no right to use against me! I have other ways of releasing my anxiety, depression, or anger out, and cutting myself is surely not one of them."

"Katherine, I'm your doctor, not your psychiatrist. I give you medicine, not consolation. You'll start seeing one tomorrow, at acutely 14:00 pm," he checked his watch. "There, you can take out whatever you're holding inside. Once we think you're back to a stable condition, only then you'll take your leave from here."

Katherine tried to backfire at him, but no words came out of her tightening throat as tears of anxiety burned her eyes. The depression hit her hard and deep, Katherine found herself tightly grabbing her chest. The doctor saw what was happening and instantly took action.

"Katherine, calm down," he put his palms up as if to soothe her. She glared away from him, stumbling back to her bed. She propped her elbows on her knees and grabbed her head. "I should be dead," she muttered to herself, remembering the thug stabbing her. Her stomach's pain made itself known, causing her middle body to sting with piercing, burning agony.

"Why aren't I dead?!" she yelled at the floor, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. "Katherine, calm down before you start hurting yourself," the doctor edged his way to her side. "Death is clearly not the answer right now. Focus on my voice, find your way out. Fight it."

What the hell was this guy blabbering about? Did he really think she was going to hurt herself? Right now? Shaking her head, Katherine wiped her face, removing any traces of weakness away. "That's it," the doctor said with a smile to his voice, "there we go."

Suddenly, she felt a needle stab her forearm, causing her to gasp sharply. What the-

She looked at his disgusting face, feeling her vision blur. He smiled down at her, saying useless words. "It'll be alright. You rest now, okay? I'll come back when you're awake and calm, sweetheart."

Did he just her call her _sweetheart_? Katherine glared daggers at him until the very end, until her head swayed and black spots formed in her line of sight. I'll show you calm, she thought to herself smugly. Oh, I'll show you _sweetheart_.

With that thought, Katherine went right back to sleep.

-x-

**AN**: _I know no Joker, but you'll be in for a treat in Chapter Two._ :)


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

-x-

Katherine bit her thumb nail as she paced back and forth in that damned white room, her thoughts running wild. What she didn't understand was why would they claim her to be a person who suffers DSH? What made them, these _people_ who apparently know _everything_, jump to that conclusion? And why in the hell would they deport her here without interrogating her, or just simply_ asking_? Was it that damn hard?

Someone must've set her up, Katherine nodded, that was probably the only answer right now. But who? Who hated her this much to lock her up in here when she barely even talked to people? This didn't make sense.

"Okay, alright," she licked her lips, trying to remember her last encounters. After the thug, she somehow walked her way out. Where was she when she heard that woman scream? Katherine thought for long but couldn't remember, so she concentrated on the voice. Whose voice did it belong to? It was familiar, that much she knew. Or recalled. Anyways, she sighed, shifting through the memories in her mind.

It sounded like someone who possessed a little foreign accent, most probably Southern. Someone who'd knock on your door when you put your garbage in the hallway instead of outside, someone who likes to act all bossy and motherly, someone like... Lindsey. Katherine's eyes suddenly narrowed, her breath coming out in a hiss.

"Fucking Lindsey..." she cursed, her hands clenching into tight fists. "Why didn't you just let me die, ha?" Running her hands over her face, Katherine groaned, feeling tired. She walked over to the bed, gently sitting down on it. She rested her head in her hands and deeply exhaled.

Sweet Lindsey had acted the hero and tried to save her alright, but it didn't explain why she ended up here. Katherine thought back again, trying to recall the one-sided conversation they had held. Her neighbour had spoken to her, and closing her eyes, Katherine concentrated on the words.

_You need a doctor_, she had said. _Why would you do this to yourself_, she had gasped out. Katherine instantly straightened, her eyes widening. "Now why would she say that?" She thought aloud. For a while, Katherine just sat there, her mind coming out blank with no coherent answer. The answer didn't matter, she had to get out of here. The fastest way was, of course, to cooperate. And cooperate she would. Whatever they desired, she'd give it to them. The favour will be on her side since she was not _sick_ at all, and the doctors could think they'd healed her all they wanted, Katherine didn't care, she simply wanted out.

After that bastard of a doctor put her to sleep, she had awoken from a dream about the Joker causing havoc in the streets of Gotham, and for a while she couldn't breathe. He'd appeared so glorious with that Glasgow smile spread wide with mischief.

Sighing, she had simply just sat there, waiting for nothing in particular. Then, the doctor had come in, carrying with him a tray of very tasteless food. Katherine ate it nonetheless since she was hungry beyond words. She had slowly regained her energy but still felt weak from the stabbing and cuts.

The doctor had taken care of her wounds, wrapping them around with new bandages and had given her pills to swallow. He'd waited until she complied and finally left the room when Katherine swallowed them. Yeah, right. Couple of minutes after his departure, she had spat them out from the hiding spot below her tongue.

Now she sat again, waiting for nothing in particular.

This place was for the criminally insane, what the hell was she doing here? Groaning, Katherine pulled at her ebony hair, suddenly feeling pressured by all of this.

A minute later after the deafening silence, her metal door opened with a hiss, her doctor walking in.

"It's 14:00 pm, let's get you to that psychiatrist we talked about yesterday." He smiled, although it didn't reach his already dead eyes. Glaring, Katherine stood up, slowly walking over to him. She was in a way surprised that a day has passed since her arrival here. Huffing, she walked past him, grudgingly bumping their shoulders hard.

Rolling his eyes at her inane moves, he tapped her on the shoulder. She hissed, looking back at him. "What?" she growled out. He pointed at her wrists, causing her to glance down.

The guard in front of her suddenly handcuffed her hands, enabling any movement to be made. She nearly kicked him in the groin but stopped herself midway. He looked away from her, his face devoid of any emotion.

The doctor sprinted forth, the guard budging her right shoulder for her to follow suit. Grumbling indecent words, Katherine followed him, the guard strolling behind her.

They took a turn to a few hallways and all were that very familiar, annoying white. The walls braced to her sides possessed cells for another inmates, and she could see them from the glass window stretched across half of the white wall, the length thick and evident.

Turning to another hallway, they came to a stop before an elevator. The doctor pressed the button to go down as Katherine looked around for a few seconds. Guards were posted at the sides of the door, as they were at the door of every cell. She sighed when the elevator doors chimed open, the guard behind her nudging her shoulder to move inside.

She glared at him for a few heartbeats then, taking her time, gradually walked inside. The doctor pressed the button to the third floor from all the twelve, and stepped back to take his side at her right.

They stood in the elevator, listening to the annoying melody of blues playing in the background, making the situation quite awkward.

The elevator dropped to the eighth floor, nearly causing Katherine to start emitting weird noises from impatience and boredom. She smacked her lips then pursed them, looking around the elevator in a sheepish manner.

"Do you like chocolate?" she asked the guard, who rose high enough to touch the ceiling of the elevator. He didn't respond but rather gazed forth. She sighed, knowing better than to talk to a brick.

They dropped to the sixth floor.

Katherine started humming alongside the melody of the blues and nodded her head from side to side. "It's actually not that bad," she told the doctor, who simply ignored her, checking which floor they were on.

The fourth floor.

"Well, this was fun." She smirked when they arrived on the third floor, the elevator doors sliding open.

"Move," the guard huskily ordered, nudging her on the shoulder. She scowled, revealing her teeth to him. "So he talks," she muttered in annoyance and followed the doctor out.

They walked a narrow white hallway, but this one didn't possess cells, no, it had offices and unknown doors to mysterious chambers. That meant the first, second, and third floor were for the workers. How nice.

She glared at the guard behind her, huffing away when he tightened his clasp on the rifle clasped to this side. "Like that'll scare me," she muttered to herself and noticed one of the white doors open from the farthest hallway.

She glanced up, then caring less, Katherine checked her nails out. "Do you like the colours pink or blue?" she asked the guard, loving how her questions got to him but he refused to sell out any emotion. Katherine didn't realize the three bodies striding their direction when she stated, "you look like a guy who likes pink."

A sudden cackle erupted in the hallway, breaking the silence. Katherine froze, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat. She glanced away from the guard and leisurely allowed her eyes to land on the three forms closing in. Two bulky guards were stationed at the sides of a six foot and most probably three inches prisoner in an orange suit.

She narrowed her eyes, her movement slightly halting. The prisoner must've heard her comment because one of the guards told him to zip it. Katherine examined the man with her brows furrowed and her lips slightly parted, as though not believing her eyes.

The man had light brown hair that slightly curled down to his shoulders-shoulders that were _hunched_. His head was bowed down and he was handcuffed like her but from behind. Katherine watched him as he strode forth, the guards just two arms length away from them. The guard from behind her nudged her to move but Katherine refused to budge, her attention zeroing on the man in the orange suit.

They passed by her group, and from there on, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Katherine's eyes darted to his face through the brown curls shielding his features. She craned her neck to the side and narrowed her eyes to get a better look at him. The guard to his left bypassed Katherine, but before he could block her view, she spotted the side of the prisoner's lip stretch up.

Or rather, _too_ up. Katherine immediately spotted the hint of scars running alongside his lips, and felt her breath leap out of her throat.

"It's _him_," she whispered out, not truly believing her eyes. She blinked rapidly as her gaze literally moved with his strides, her stomach releasing a fluttery feeling that sent a chill running up her spine. It was him. She knew it. _Sensed_ it. The hectic aura vibrating from his body, the sizzling feeling of energy waiting to be released into fits of chaos, it belonged to him. Even with his hands handcuffed, only he could master the stride of undefeated posture.

"Joker," she croaked out, never in a million years imagining to utter his name before him. Her hand reached out, her fingers begging for a little touch against his face to know this was real. That he was real.

Katherine didn't know if she imagined it or not, but his shoulders gave a barely noticeable twitch when she murmured his name out. The guard behind gave her a sudden push, nearly sending her to the ground. She straightened, growling at him.

"No talking. Walk," he ordered. "Don't ever fucking touch me again, you hear Pinky?" Katherine hissed out his new nickname, and grinned when he scowled at her.

Clearing her throat, Katherine strode forth and only gave a backward glance when she heard the elevator doors slide open. She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder at the Joker and felt her throat tighten when he gracefully turned on his heels in the elevator, facing her with his head bowed down.

Katherine's brows furrowed when she caught his face slightly rising up, his eyes an inch away from being revealed. Her breath caught in her throat as his features gradually made themselves known, his smooth skin that possessed no greasepaint shocking the sense out of her.

He looked like a _man_.

A human. Liker her, like everybody else in this city, but the only difference was the scars that run along his cheeks, creating an eerie image of what could only be your nightmare come to life. To Katherine it was a beautiful nightmare, the kind that caused goose bumps to spread across your body and your limbs shake.

But she, everybody, knew that he was no where close to human. He was the Joker, whether it was with or without his painted mask. He was dangerous.

He suddenly met her gaze, causing her to instantly halt. He locked her hard in place, making her gulp. She felt her adrenaline rush when he leisurely nodded his head down, arching an eyebrow at her and giving her one of the scariest side grins. With that image, the doors of the elevator slowly closed, removing him from her line of sight.

Katherine started walking again, her heart beating like a psycho inside her chest.

Oh, dear Lord. What the hell just happened?

-x-

"Katherine van Hugh, would you tell me how you feel at the moment?" a feminine voice asked her rather too softly. Katherine stared ahead, totally ignoring the woman who introduced herself as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, her psychiatrist.

She had seen the Joker, Katherine thought to herself in dumbfounded bewilderment. She had met him. "My God," she nearly formed a goofy smile. "I actually saw him..."

He was here. In Arkham Asylum, where _she_ was. Under the same roof, in the same building, and so close to her. Hell, they even passed by each other in the narrow hallway. He had gazed at her, had _grinned_ at her. Katherine suddenly tugged at her aching chest tightly.

He was here this whole time, and finally Katherine got to meet him. Well, not the way she desired, but this was literally a dream come true.

She wanted to stay here.

With him.

She didn't want to go home yet, Katherine wanted to have some little fun before she got back to her dull life. She wanted to get to know him, or just pass him in the hallways, it didn't matter! She just wanted to look at him. It has been over five months since his disappearance, Katherine would die first than to give up this opportunity to finally get to meet him again.

He was here. Katherine shakily breathed out, still yet to digest that information in. Katherine suddenly came to a daring thought. She grinned in mischief, suddenly making up her mind.

She will stay here.

Katherine started thinking deeply and started planning a plot. So she had to act insane, maybe sick like they saw her as at the moment. She'd prolong this act until she got tired of it. This was going to be ecstatic!

Game on.

Katherine faced her psychiatrist, realizing she was still asking her questions. "What?" Katherine dumbly replied. Harleen, if Katherine heard her right, sighed, forming a forced smile. "Who is here?" She asked, waiting to scribble Katherine's response on the paper pad that lay on her lap.

They were currently at-wait, here's the best part-another white room, there was a white, leather couch in the middle of the chamber with another facing apart from it. Katherine's wrists were locked and the chain connected to it rattled down till the ground, the end hooked to the hard surface of the floor.

Pinky, her amazing guard, was stationed to her farthest right, watching her intently to see if she'd attack this _doll_ that sat before her. Where Dr. Quinzel possessed blonde hair, Katherine had ebony. While she had blue, bright eyes, Katherine had honey coloured. Where her skin was creamy, Katherine's was a slight shade darker.

Katherine was also from East Asia, Japan, with eyes that delicately stretched-almost cattish-with curved lashes that lengthened elegantly. The elders who'd cared for her in the orphanage had said the people that dropped her off spoke in Japanese and before they could conversate with them, they had ran away, leaving her in the doorstep wailing and cold.

Katherine shook the thought away, ignoring the sudden shiver that travelled up her spine. Her eyes burned with something Katherine refused to believe as tears. She'd not cry over their actions. She refused herself that weakness and rather boldly stared at her psychiatrist.

"No one," she answered Harleen's latest question. She looked at Katherine for a heartbeat before glancing down. "Why do choose to harm yourself, Katherine? What do you achieve in that?" She asked.

Katherine nearly glared and hissed out but stopped herself. She had to act the part, she reminded herself. Swallowing, Katherine tried to make a believable expression. "Because I like it. No, scratch that. I love it. It gives me release from my depression. It helps me, cures me. I see it as a way of life."

Harleen nodded, listening to her. "Tell me about it," she calmly asked. Katherine nearly snorted. Didn't she just do exactly that?

"No," she sternly said, causing Harleen's eyebrow's to furrow. "Why?" she asked. Katherine slightly leaned forward, the chain rattling from below. "Because we just met." She clacked her tongue.

Harleen tilted her face to the side, eyeing her. "It's been over two hours since our meeting, I have been sitting here because I care about you and your well-being. Doesn't that count as something?"

"No, not really. You sit here because it's your job. You're obliged to do that, but I don't blame you. I mean, how else are you going to earn those black heels over there, mm?" Katherine shot an eyebrow down at Harleen's feet and gazed up, locking her eyes with her blue ones.

Harleen smiled, "they are actually very cheap. And I sit here not because I'm obliged but because I really, truly, do care for you."

Katherine shrugged, looking away.

After a moment of silence, Harleen softly said, "you can trust me." At that, Katherine nearly laughed out loud. She pursed her lips instead. She had to play it insane, she reminded herself.

"Trust?" she arched a brow at her psychiatrist, as though she was new to the word. Harleen nodded. "Yes." She smiled, most probably thinking she had Katherine hooked.

Katherine stared at her, her lips slightly parted as though she was digesting the new word in. Slowly, she nodded, her gaze never faltering away from Harleen's. Katherine sighed, feeling kind of tired. Maybe it was time to end it for today.

"Okay, I trust you. But do you trust me?" She asked, waiting for her psychiatrist's reply. Harleen gazed at her for a heartbeat before, finally, she nodded. "Of course."

Well, this was going to be fun. Katherine nodded, as though displaying they now actually had some sort of bond. "Okay, cool. So, tell me Dr. Harleen, why am I handcuffed? If you trust me so much, I mean?"

Harleen opened her mouth to speak but closed it. Then, licking her lips, she spoke. "For safety." She cleared her throat.

Katherine nodded once more, sighing as she leaned back on the sofa. "For whom?" she evenly asked. Katherine knew she was getting to sound like a smart-ass, but she needed to hear her response. She had to know how they comprehended things here.

"For you," Harleen calmly replied.

"For me?" Katherine asked, feeling her anger grow. What the hell did that even mean?

"Yes, you suffer DSH, after all. Katherine."

Her eyes suddenly narrowed, her tongue running across her white teeth as her temper rose. Screw playing insane. She'd be the meaning of insane right this moment. Wait, calm down. She exhaled, feeling her temper grudgingly decrease._ Just act the part, Katherine_, she lectured herself. _You can apologize to her later when you're out of this hell hole. _

"You're truly a blonde, you know that, Dr. Quinzel?" Katherine spat out. "You're dumb just like everyone in this building who think they can save people. Cure them. No, fuck you. You can't do shit. You know," Katherine played her '_self-harming_' part, and nearly smiled, "this is the reason why I cut myself. You all are puppets. You follow, not lead. You simply don't know how to live. Breathe. But I, I cut myself because it gives me the release, the freedom that you will never have. And to think that this is abnormal, like who even put you in charge of normalcy, huh! Answer me!"

Katherine suddenly stood up, stomping her way to Harleen's side. The chains stopped her midway, but she still stubbornly pulled on them, trying to get near her psychiatrist. Katherine nearly smiled at how well she was playing this. Wow, she should get like the Best Actress of the Year Award.

Dr. Quinzel stared at her with wide eyes, no words emerging. "I love cutting myself! You hear me?" Katherine shouted, laughing as she did so. "I LOVE IT!"

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit her side and she loudly gasped out. Before Katherine could do anything, she went straight to the floor, electric currents running through her body and shaking her till her bones.

She tried to scream at the pain but her lips felt numb and electrified.

Okay, she really did not love this.

The chains rattled as her body jerked from left to right, up and down. Finally, surely an eternity later, Katherine dared to pry her eyes open.

Her body felt numb and abused in the worst way possible. She gradually gazed up, finding her guard posed at her side. She growled. "But Pinky," she pouted, feeling pain erupt in her lower jaw. "Why would you do that?"

He glared down at her, giving her another electric shock.

With that, it was lights out for Katherine.

Well, at least she gave them a reason to why she should stay here now.

-x-

Katherine felt the sizzling electric currents still spread across her unmoving body, and she refused to budge, fearing they might start sending sparks here and there. God, this was the worst day ever.

What the hell was she even thinking in the first place? Frowning, she opened her eyes, gazing up at her cell's white ceiling. Okay, if they really liked curing people, they literally should change the colour of the rooms. White would drive the psycho's even more crazy and make any sane man insane. _Maybe that's what they wanted... _

Katherine shook the thought off and turned in her bed to face the wall. Sighing, she smoothed a hand down to her stitched belly and gently rubbed.

It felt heavy and bruised, but knowing she could eat and digest properly, Katherine guessed the knife missed the vital points. She exhaled, closing her eyes, trying to fall asleep again. After getting electricuted, Katherine had awoken in her cell, knowing acutely her therapy sessions were done for the day.

Poor Harleen, she didn't deserve the words Katherine spat at her just to play it off. For all she knew, maybe she did love helping the people here. She'd make sure to apologize to her before leaving Arkham Asylum, Katherine slightly nodded. Maybe even send her flowers. Well, it depended how harsh she was going to act in the next session.

"Why am I even doing this?" she mumbled to herself, her logical side kicking in. For all she knew, she might end up being crazy herself.

"Okay, I won't do it." She bit her lower lip, her fun side stepping aside as her clear conscious took over. "Why would I? I mean, the Joker doesn't give two shits about me. Why should I risk my health and freedom for him?"

Katherine cracked her eyes open. "But I finally got to meet him," she whispered, nearly pouting. "Well, too bad," her logical side replied. "Because you will be going home. One way or another."

Man, she grumbled, frowning. Alright, no more crazy shit from now on, Katherine. She commanded. Just be yourself-wait, that was a bad advice. Okay, try to act _good_. She nodded, biting her lower lip.

Maybe, until she got out, she could spend most of her time trying to interact with the Joker as much as possible. Somehow.

"Well, that could work as well," she sighed, smiling to herself.

Just when she was about to close her eyes again, the door to her cell hissed open. Katherine growled. Before the intruder could say anything, she beat him to it. "No, go fuck yourself and get lost." Way to act good, her inner self mocked her.

The intruder spoke anyways, "you have a visitor, Katherine." It was her doctor, Katherine rolled her eyes. She tossed him a look over her shoulder, "did you not hear me?" she hissed. Who the hell was the visitor, anyways?

"The woman who found you in your bed, bleeding and hurt has come here to speak with you." Her doctor offered, causing Katherine to abruptly rise. "Lindsey?" she arched her brow.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you say so?" Katherine shook her head, getting up. She walked up to him and bumped their shoulders together before striding out of her cell. Her doctor sighed, following her.

"Oh, hi there Pinky," Katherine smiled at her guard waiting outside her cell. He growled down at her, his hand going to the taizor clasped to his belt. Katherine snorted, "Oooh, I'm very scared. Where's my mommie, please help," she said in a monotone voice, glaring up at him.

The guard harshly handcuffed her, the metal pressing into her skin rather too tightly. She gasped and bit her lip. Facing away from the guard, Katherine started following her doctor to the elevator.

Her insides churned with anticipation as they neared the end of the hallway, one thought consuming her mind and thoughts.

She was going to kill Lindsey Graham.

-x-

"Are you okay?" the annoying, motherly feminine voice asked Katherine, making her groan. Lindsey sat before Katherine in a cold, dim litted room, the ceiling and the walls dark and spotty. A table separated them from each other as they both sat on metal chairs. Katherine was handcuffed with Pinky standing stiff to her right.

There was a security camera in the corner of the room and a huge mirror stretched from one side of the wall to the other, indicating that people were watching them from behind the glass.

"What do you think?" Katherine spat out. Lindsey bit her lip, her eyes cast downwards. "Hey, look at me!" Katherine shouted, startling her neighbour. "What the hell were you thinking, huh? Do you know what you've done?!"

Lindsey opened her mouth to speak but Katherine all but shouted at her. "How dare you do this? What right did you have, you inconsiderate-"

"Katherine, you were hurting yourself!" Lindsey shouted, slamming her palms against the metal table and abruptly rising to her feet. "Ma'am," Pinky warned, his voice commanding Lindsey she not near Katherine in an offensive manner.

"I was hurting myself?" Katherine stood up as well, pointing a finger to her own chest. "ME?"

Lindsey sat down, crossing her arms over her middle. "Yes, you. Who else, van Hugh?"

"First you put me in here, and now you show that kind of shitty attitude?" Katherine glared down at her. "Listen here, sweet fucking Lindsey. No matter what you witnessed, no matter you think or others, I'm not sick. I never was and never ever will be. These cuts are not earned from me but from a thug that I warred with in an alleyway. He stabbed me, I stabbed him. I survived, but now I really wish I were dead."

Lindsey stared at her with wide, teary eyes. "Katherine, I-"

"No!" Katherine shouted, feeling Pinky's hand shove her down on her chair. "You had no right whatsoever to enter my household and come up with all these stupid conclusions that I was sick!" She continued, never faltering. She was mad. Oh, was she mad.

"I didn't make the conclusion. You did! When the doctors saw your cuts, they thought you caused them, but when they run a blood sample on that knife you wielded, it didn't belong to you. But here's the interesting part, you had other cuts-cuts that were not inflicted by that style of knife. You suffer Neurosis, and now you have cuts, and the second you wake up from near death, the first thing you do is attack the doctors and nurses. How does that look to you, huh, Kat?"

"I freaked out!" Katherine exclaimed. Now realizing that she had unknowingly taken the thugs knife to her home. No wonder they thought her insane, dammit.

"Freaked out?" Lindsey shot back. "You broke a doctor's nose, a nurses two fingers, and black eyed another helper. That is more than freaking out, Katherine!"

Okay, she really didn't realize she caused that much damage.

"You know what, I didn't need your help in the first place!" Katherine retorted lamely.

Lindsey gasped, clearly taking this personally. "You didn't need my help? You were going to die if it weren't for me!"

"I would've rather chosen to die than to be saved by a person like you who can't get anything right!"

Lindsey abruptly stood up, losing her sense of control as she did so. "You're insensitive, you know that? You know what?!" She screamed.

"What?" Katherine exclaimed back.

"You truly need help, Kat!" Lindsey cried as she said the words, causing Katherine to gulp. "Because if you haven't forgotten, you're a murderer who has taken a life! You could've taken a son or a husband, who knows! You _deserve_ this!"

Okay, Katherine was about to feel bad that she was making Lindsey cry but... this? _Oh_, no, _no_. No. And how could she say that? How could she remind her of her worst memories, her dreadful actions, when ironically, this was the person that cared if Katherine lived or not? Katherine knew what she did was horribly wrong and it was _killing_ her from the inside out, but how could Lindsey, who was not there to witness what happened, judge Katherine so _openly_?

"What did you just say?" Katherine lethally asked, gradually rising from her seat. "I _deserve_ this?" she asked the silent Lindsey with a lilt of warning in her voice. "Did you forget the part that I almost died, that other's could've lost a friend, a sister, a daughter?"

"You're an orphan," Lindsey whispered. Katherine stared at her wide eyed, her self control suddenly shattering into million pieces. "You piece of-!" Katherine yelled, not finishing her sentence as she suddenly lashed out at Lindsey, sending her body crashing to the ground.

Katherine thought she heard a voice boom in the room, uttering, "get her out of there!" But she cared not. Her anger was high and blazing, her hands flying to the ground to aim Lindsey's face. Lindsey dodged and grabbed Katherine's hair to throw her off her body, but Katherine refused to budge and attacked, really not realizing that her fists were aimlessly hitting the ground and not Lindsey.

She felt hot tears burn her eyes as her chest constricted with different, suffocating feelings. "How could you!" Katherine sobbed out, feeling tears fall. "How could you say that!"

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her waist, easily lifting her off from Lindsey's body. Katherine struggled to escape, to go down there again and make this _human_ understand that it wasn't _her_ fault that she was an orphan, that she suffered Neurosis, that she was lonely and felt completely lost. She _really_ did, but the hand wouldn't let go, stubbornly carrying her out of the room and away from Lindsey's form.

"Let go!" She screamed at Pinky, thrashing from side to side. "Let me go!"

Before they went out, Lindsey shouted at Katherine, her words piercing through her soul. "You need help, van Hugh! Feel lucky that you're already here!"

With those words, the metal room closed on her face and Katherine found herself in a hallway. Pinky let her down, pushing her away from the meeting room. Katherine, wiped at her burning face, her eyes refusing to stop their tears. God, she hated this!

Pinky pushed her hard, making her stumble forth and nearly trip. "Dammit!" She exclaimed in anger. Abruptly twirling around, Katherine literally kicked him in the groin this time. Air huffed out of his lips but because he was trained, he regained his composure rather too fast. Only then did Katherine realize what she had done, but she cared not. She wanted them to pay for what they've done to her.

With all her might and strength, Katherine jumped at Pinky, aiming a fist at his temple. He grunted, roughly pushing her off his broad body. Katherine stumbled down, wiping at her face, feeling her anger lash like a whip against her self control.

Her guard came to her again, grabbing her by the shoulders. Katherine screamed, "Don't touch me! Stop it! Stop touching me, you're harassing me! He's harassing me!" Katherine knew that if she did this on the streets, people would've helped her. But she was in Arkham Asylum, the people would not help her here, they'd blame her instead.

Patients coming out of other meeting rooms stared at the sudden commotion, even her own doctor rushed out of room he watched her from, running towards their direction.

"Katherine, calm down!" he shouted in the way, raising his arms to display that he meant no harm. "Thomas, let her go!"

The guard refused to budge, clearly upset by her. Katherine kicked him again, this time freeing herself out of his tight clasp.

"Did I allow you to touch me, huh tough boy?" Katherine snarled at him, whipping him across the face. The guard threw a reckless punch at her face, aiming her cheek. Katherine cried out, falling hard on the floor. She got up before he could harm her again, and kept her distance.

"Who do you think you are, holding me when you want, touching me when you want, _hitting_ me when you want?" She hissed at him, spitting blood out of her mouth. "Did I do those things to you? Answer me you piece of shit!"

Katherine realized the entire hallway went deathly quiet, feeling eyes on her, Pinky, and her doctor. She shakily breathed in and out, realizing that Lindsey also stood next to the meeting room, watching her with horrified eyes.

"You will pay for this," Katherine said to her, eyeing her with such intensity that caused Lindsey to abruptly look away. Pinky took out his taizor, pressing the button to let the electric currents run through each other and emit a sizzling sound. Katherine gulped, then formed her hands into tight fists.

"Come at me coward, let's see if you can beat a chained, weapon less woman." Her taunting words got to him, and Pinky put away his taizor and pounced at her, sending her body crashing to the hard floor.

Air abandoned her lungs on impact, causing stars to dance around her vision. She groaned, feeling her skull release the most shattering trauma ever.

"Get off!" She screamed, bending her knees up to her chest and roughly kicking out. Pinky stumbled back, then doing kip-up, he got right back up. Stumbling, Katherine rose as well.

Just when she did, another blow to the cheek caused her head to whip to the side. She toppled backwards and bumped against a hard flesh. Flinching, she hastily gazed up, catching a glimpse of brown curls.

Barely being able to breathe, Katherine found herself flesh to flesh with a male prisoner, whose eyes were hauntingly enthralling and dark.

Before she could say anything, he cocked his face to the side and slightly grinned. Katherine abruptly realized who she was staring at through her cloudy vision and nearly wept.

The Joker stared down at her, his brows slightly furrowing in a mocking '_poor you_' gesture. Before Katherine could even blink, he let his tongue flick out and trace his scars. With a rough push, he sent her toppling back to the battlefield.

Startled and confused, Katherine stumbled back from the impact and realized Pinky coming at her with full force. She gasped, realizing she could not back down. She barely dodged his attack and rolled onto the floor. No wonder the Joker pushed her back to the fight. He _loved_ the scene and all this sudden commotion. He found it quite amusing and wanted to know what would happen next.

Growling, Katherine whipped around, realizing her doctor come at her with a sedater. Three guards circled her now, trying to corner Katherine. Her raspy breaths filled the silence as she eyed them one by one.

Everyone was watching them, and the Joker was one of them. Her cheeks reddened a little.

Dammit, he just had to come out at the wrong time and witness Katherine at her worst. Way to go for first impressions, she rolled her eyes. No use now, she couldn't let them sedate her again.

But she was over powered, the guards were bulky and rose high, towering over her like buildings. Pinky strode to her corner and eyed her up and down in victory. She glared at him. "Fine," she softly murmured, finally admitting defeat. "Here, take me in."

She outstretched her cuffed hands and waited until he took hold of them. Naively, he walked past the guards and took action to grab her. Using that moment as an advantage, Katherine double wacked him in the face, indicating that she was no ball they could play around with.

Pinky's head flew back and he growled loudly. An amused chuckle erupted from the back, startling Katherine. But before she could turn around, her doctor instantly sedated her, causing a sharp pain to erupt from her forearm.

Gasping, Katherine stumbled back, feeling the hard force of the injection take its toll. Her vision swayed and she lost control of her body, stumbling down.

Dark spots dotted her line of sight and her heavy lids slowly started to close. With a murmur, Katherine fell into oblivion.

-x-

**AN:**_ I know, not much Joker here as well. But I'd really like to know how I did. So, share with me your thoughts! Oh, and if you go to my profile, I explain a little about this story. So check it out just to get a little heads up._ :)


	3. Chapter 3

Tell me a Joke

Chapter Three

Life is funny.

It truly is. One day, you're having loads of unlimited fun, and the next-Bam!-you're drowning in your own sorrows. Just one moment of different thinking, deciding, or performing can change your whole life into a twirling cyclone. Some regret their actions, some wish they've never said the words they did. Some wish to take away the pain they've caused others by doing so, some wish they'd just die.

What Katherine wished at the moment?

She wished that she didn't go after that damn, useless phone!

Everything would've been alright if she had not rebelled. If only Katherine had not run after that thug, if only she decided it was for the best that her phone was gone. If only... If only...

Grabbing at her locks, Katherine rested her head in her waiting hands. The silence in the room screamed at her, causing her to wince.

Katherine awoke in her cell after fighting the guard, and witnessed her body drop flat out onto the floor. It was so heavy and her head swayed from here to there, her vision not yet to register itself to normalcy. What have they _done_ to her?

Groaning, Katherine lay on her mattress, feeling as though someone was hammering her skull endlessly.

The door to her room hissed open, causing her to roll her eyes. _Here we go again. _

"Katherine," her doctor spoke up, making her groan. She _hated_ them. She hated them, everyone, and everything. Their logic, their actions, they were sick and twisted. Did they really think they were the ones who were normal? Did they really think of themselves so high that they could fix people who suffered greatly?

The people they could never understand until they endured like them, until they experienced the tides of pain and torture and screamed like they did.

They could never fix a man with just medication, and they were fools for thinking otherwise.

A man was created to withstand the cold, to endure the hot, and have the ability to heal after being harmed. A man was much more. Much, _much_ more. Medication would only scratch the surface.

But they still thought they were correct, that they were normal. Surely they were not. Because if they were in their right minds, they'd know that Katherine was _not_ sick. That she was perfectly fine. That she didn't belong here.

But they were not in their right minds.

They were twisted and driven with the idea that they thought could work on people like her. But soon they'd come to terms with their crimes. Soon, they'll see how psychotic _they_ really were. The Joker would be an angel compared to these freaks.

"Get out of my room," she gritted out. Her face was bruised and swollen from the hits she received from Pinky. It hurt to speak, and the more she did, the more her bruises ached. Her doctor sighed. "I cannot do that, Katherine."

"Why, did you suddenly forget how to walk? Should I teach you?" Katherine rose and pointed her finger at the open door. "Get the fuck out. Now."

"I have the right to be here, van Hugh. Calm yourself." The doctor crossed his arms over his middle, eyeing her up and down. Katherine huffed.

"If you have the _right_ to be here, then I have the right to get out." Rising, she strode to the open door. The doctor stopped her by putting his arm out to block the only exit. She growled at him, warning him to take his hand away.

"You can't leave." He stated. "I need to speak with you."

Katherine shook her head, chuckling at herself while she did so. "You're a hypocrite, you know that?" She muttered.

"What?" Her doctor asked.

"You are a hypocrite," Katherine gritted out in his face. "You all are. I'll not waste my time explaining your true colours to you, because if I did, then you really aren't in your right mind."

"Katherine-" he started but was cut off.

"Get the hell out. Right now." She pointed at the door, glaring at him while she did so. "Or I'll ruin your precious features like I did to the guard." He eyed her stubbornly, his jaw set firmly. "Get. The. Hell. OUT!"

With all the strength that was left in her, Katherine literally pushed him out of her cell, making him fall hard on the ground outside. She eyed him for a few heartbeats, looked at the guard posted at the side, shrugged, then grabbing the door, she slammed it shut.

Walking up to her bed, Katherine huddled inside the thin blanket, her mind trying to forget everything, even if it was just for a little while.

-x-

"Katherine," a husky purr disrupted the silence, causing the Joker to tilt his head to the side. "Ka_t_," he tried again, the tone still not clicking in the way he desired. He released a rough sigh out, shaking his head. "Katy," he tried once more, flicking his tongue out and tracing his ragged scars. The teasing purr didn't quite reach that nickname hence he shoved it out of his thoughts.

He pursed his lips and sheepishly shrugged, tossing a bored glance to his side. "Kit-Kat," he _mmm_'d, rubbing his palms together and slightly chuckled. "Kitty-Kat." He leaned forward, resting his elbows atop his knees.

Then he stilled.

"Kitty-Kat," he repeated, the muscle below his eye twitching. Leisurely, he let his lips join the murderous smile marked on his cheeks and smirked widely.

He brought his hand to his face and pinched his lower lip between his thumb and index finger in an excited manner, running the nickname over and over in his head.

The Joker felt an amusing laugh building up inside his chest, the force of it making his shoulders jump as a rumbling sound forced itself out of his throat. He pinched the flesh of his lower lip to sustain it, but nonetheless allowed a sneaky smile to form. A puff of air escaped his parted lips as he eyed the floor with adored interest.

"_Kitty_-Ka_t_. Kitty-Ka_t_," he let the vibration of the nickname run along his lips, his tongue tracing a wet line across his jagged scars, marking it sweetly. "I _like_ that," he huskily purred.

"_Oh_, I like it very much. Kathe_rrr_ine."

-x-

Sniffing, Katherine flushed the toilet, turning the knob to the sink open and started washing her hands. Gently, she patted her bruised cheeks and slowly rubbed at them. They cried out in agony, causing her to moan and stop her ministrations.

"Ow," she let out, swallowing hard. Turning the water off, she walked over to her bed and sat down, feeling the stitches in her belly rub against one another.

She really wanted to just... tear them out. It was such a tempting thought, Katherine found it hard to resist.

The door to her cell suddenly unlocked, causing her to glance up. Her doctor walked in, but this time it was with a different guard. Huh.

She tilted her head to the side, eyeing him in a bored expression. "Yes, come in," she said, playing with the strands of her ebony hair.

Her doctor sighed. "Let me look at your face."

"You're already looking at it, smartass." Katherine retorted.

"I meant, let me-"

"I know what you meant," Katherine groaned, rolling her eyes. "Do it fast and take your leave."

Her doctor walked over to her side and opened his medical kit. Katherine sat there in silence as he gradually got to work, massaging her cheeks with ointment and other medical creams. He tilted her face from side to side to examine her wounds, sighing while he did so.

"It's your third week here, and we just can't meet without you injured, can we?" He sighed, closing his kit.

Katherine suddenly eyed him, her surprise evident in the way her eyes widened. "My _third_ week?" She gasped out.

"Yes." He looked at her, rising from his knelt position on the floor. "You were out for a week and a half due to your injuries. It is your third week here, in Arkham Asylum."

"Oh my..." she whispered, never realizing she was here this long. "Was it that bad?" She asked, gazing up at him. He nodded, saying, "You kept bleeding and re-opening your wounds in your sleep we had to deport you to the medical side of the Asylum. You stayed there for a while, then we took you into this cell."

Katherine shook her head as if baffled. "Wow," she exhaled. "I must have lost a lot of blood."

He nodded, checking his watch. "You did. But worry not, we did a blood transfusion."

"Oh, you did?" Katherine nodded, pursing her lips. "Cool."

Her doctor formed a tiny chuckle, muttering. "Not cool, really. You were a negative, so it was hard for us to find someone who could share his blood with you."

"I didn't know I was a negative." Katherine sheepishly shrugged, suddenly eyeing the cuts in her arm. "Who was it?" she casually asked, not baring the sight of her marks. Before, she used to think of them as souvenirs, some great markings displaying to those around her that she was a warrior. A fighter. But now... not so much. She looked up. "Who gave me blood?"

The doctor suddenly eyed her, his expression unreadable. He looked serious now, his brows slightly furrowing in uneasiness. The air around them thickened and darkened dangerously. Katherine arched an eyebrow up at him, tossing the doctor her questioning gaze.

"No one important." He suddenly replied, grabbing his kit. "Come on," he called her. "Let's not be late, you have a psychiatrist to talk to."

Katherine sat there for a few heartbeats, the doctors reaction causing heaviness to settle on her shoulders. She tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. _Who_ gave her blood?

"Katherine," her doctor called from outside her cell, causing her to glance up. Muttering something under her breath, she rose, walking up to the door.

"I'm coming, _sweetheart_," she called out drily. Outside, the unknown guard handcuffed her wrists, nudging her on the shoulder to move.

Not paying much heed to him, she eyed her doctor. "Where is Pinky?" she asked.

"Who?" Her doctor closed the door, not bothering to look at her. "Oh, you mean Thomas?"

"Yeah, that Thomas dude. Where is he?" Katherine asked again.

"He's in probation. What he did was unacceptable, and he will not be your guard any time soon. Now, move." He ordered, striding in front of her as he guided them to the elevators.

Sighing, Katherine followed suit with the new guard at her tail.

-x-

The elevator doors chimed open, displaying them the view of the hallway. Swallowing hard, Katherine walked out, feeling her heart suddenly pick up speed.

This is where she had met the Joker. Would he appear again? She thought, half excited and half nervous. Would he look at her, grin at her like he did before? Would he do more?

Eagerly stepping out of the elevators, Katherine strode forth, her attention zeroing on the door at the end of the hallway.

_Come on out_, Katherine internally suggested. _Don't do this to me_. But the more she walked, the more the knowledge of the door never opening bugged her, pulling at her strings.

Katherine pouted, feeling disappointment weigh her shoulders down. Gazing down, she eyed her white shoes that were oddly comfortable. But Katherine really missed her combat boots. Wait, where were her clothes anyways?

Not only that, Katherine really missed drawing too. And Painting. Oh, how she missed painting. She wished they could give her something Katherine could scribble on at the very least. This was Hell, literally.

With her musings deep, Katherine failed to notice the door at the end of hallway open and three bodies stride out. Instead, she watched her feet and noticed for the very first time that she walked in a straight line. Cool.

Grinning, Katherine glanced up, not really expecting anyone in the hallway except her group. When she eyed the two guards and the prisoner, Katherine's eyes suddenly widened, her attempts to move halting.

She watched with her heart nearly leaping out of her throat, and bit her lower lip. She suppressed a smile that was forming and rather examined instead.

The Joker walked with his head bowed down and shoulders hunched. He left an aura of supremacy in his wake as he strolled to her direction in that taunting way of his.

The guard behind her ordered Katherine to move, but just like before, Katherine refused to budge._ Look at me_, she silently screamed. _Look at me, I'm here. I exist_. Katherine licked her lips, trying to communicate with him. The Joker casually stomped forth, not bothering to toss her a life saving glance.

_Please_. Katherine internally pleaded. _Please, please, please_. He didn't bother.

Feeling quite betrayed, Katherine narrowed her eyes. **_HEY!_** she internally shouted.

At that, the Joker slightly lifted his head up, letting those long lashes leisurely glide upwards to meet her eager gaze. Katherine was frozen. _Did he actually hear me say that?_ she thought, quite paranoid.

His gaze was so _heavy_, Katherine felt her body shrinking each time he took a dangerous step towards her. And so dark and luring, she wanted to run up to him and bury her face at the crook of his neck.

"Katherine!" she heard her doctor shout. "Hey, Katherine. Look at me," he commanded, trying to get her attention away from the Joker. Like hell she would.

"Walk, prisoner." Her guard ordered from behind. They could all rot in hell for all she cared, Katherine would not glance away from him until he was out of her sight. And even then she'd stare at the blank space where he occupied like a dumb struck, crazy fool.

The Joker raised an eyebrow at her, silently questioning her motives. Katherine herself did not even know them. So, in silence, she slowly shook her head.

The Joker suddenly lifted his face, tossing a chocolate curl resting on his forehead to the side with a jerk of his head, and grounded her with his pressurizing glare.

Leisurely, he lifted one side of his plump, sinful upper lip, baring her his pointy teeth. He looked like a tiger waiting in anticipation to eat its unaware prey. Confused, Katherine stared ahead, knowing not what he was implying.

When they were close to the other, the Joker suddenly released a cattish _purr_ at her side, immediately making Katherine whip her face to his direction.

Did he just-? He did not just...

With her lips parted, Katherine stared at his leaving figure dumbfounded. Slowly she gazed at the side, gradually realizing the meaning behind his actions. At that, Katherine briefly shook her head, allowing a smile to soon take over her lips.

When the elevator doors chimed closed, only then did Katherine started walking.

She chuckled, feeling amusement spark in her chest. Shaking her head, Katherine glanced up and found her doctor staring at her. Her amusement instantly died away as she glared at him. "What?" she rolled her eyes. "Can't I laugh?"

"Don't do that every again, you understand Katherine?" He sternly warned her. "Laugh, you mean?" Katherine tilted her head to the side. Her doctor rolled his eyes in an unprofessional way and uttered, "look at him, I mean. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't even breathe to his direction."

"Sure, sweetie." Katherine scoffed. Suddenly, he was in her face, his anger evident in the way he pointed an accused finger at her. "He is not to be messed with. You click a single nerve in him, and _we're_ done for. Don't stare at him ever again. He's a criminal, a dangerous one at that. He's best left alone."

Katherine stared at her doctor, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. Quietly, she followed him through the hallway.

-x-

Katherine sat in her therapy room, looking at the plain white wall in disinterest. It has been over two hours and she still hasn't said a single word to Dr. Quinzel, who sat patiently before her, examining Katherine in the silence.

Katherine brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around each other in an unsocial manner. She was lost in her thoughts, trying to understand what this whole thing meant.

Why would the infamous Joker do that to her? Why would he purr? Katherine thought she understood it was because of her name, but how did he even know her name to come up with something that teasing?

In all honesty, she thought he'd ignore her. See her worthless and not bother even glancing at her direction. But Katherine knew nothing, and that sudden performance left her uneasy and a little bit giddy on the inside.

She slightly giggled, remembering the moment.

"What is so funny?" Harleen asked in a soft tone, a little hint of smile in her face. Katherine exhaled, and, unblinking, murmured, "Nothing."

Dr. Quinzel sighed. "Don't shut me out, Katherine. Talk to me, I'm sure I can help you in some way. Anyway."

"I don't need help," Katherine said in that identical monotone voice, murmuring, "I just want my freedom back."

Silence fell on them, darkening the room's atmosphere.

"Freedom," Harleen repeated, and slightly chuckled. "You have freedom, van Hugh. The freedom to talk. To express what you're feeling at the moment to me. It's all yours, and you know that."

Katherine shook her head. "Not this. No," she whispered. "I want to go home."

"You will. If you cooperate with me, I promise you your freedom. Make use of the little one you have and you'll end up with an empire of it."

Would she? Could she trust this doctor?

"Tell me about yourself, Dr. Quinzel," Katherine suddenly asked, still not facing away from the wall. Her doctor fell quiet, once again the silence enveloping them.

Katherine slowly nodded. "Thought so," she said. "You expect me to open up to you when you won't even say a single thing about yourself. You have the freedom," Katherine finally gazed at her, locking her in place. "It's _all_ yours, and _you_ know that."

Dr. Harleen Quinzel stared at Katherine in an unreadable expression, trying to somehow see what was going on in her head. Katherine refused to sell out any expression, hence she looked away and started staring at the wall again.

"Fine," Katherine muttered under her breath. "But can I ask you a few questions?"

She looked at Harleen, waiting for a response. After a few heartbeats, her doctor nodded. "If I can, I'll answer them."

Katherine sighed, nodding. "Do you know where I was probably a week ago?"

She watched Harleen's expression, and her psychiatrist did a good job at covering them. "You were here, of course. Why are you asking me about-?"

"Okay, so you know I was here. That's good," Katherine interrupted. "Do you also know who gave me blood then, hm?"

At that, Dr. Harleen Quinzel's face froze, her breathing suddenly going still. She eyed Katherine for a heartbeat, before blinking rapidly and looking away. "I..." Harleen stuttered then suddenly straightened, gaining professionalism. "No, I wouldn't know."

Katherine knew she was lying. But why was she lying? Why wouldn't they tell her who it was? It's just a name, for God's sake! What were they hiding? Did the person have AIDS or something? Katherine winced, and suddenly shuddered.

If so, she was going to burn this entire building to the ground. Or herself. Okay, herself. "Did I receive some kind of sickness after the blood transfusion, is that why you're all silent about this matter?"

Harleen chuckled, eyeing her. "No, nothing like that. I didn't know we were hiding anything from you, though. Do you mind telling me, Katherine?"

Katherine abruptly knew what Dr. Quinzel was trying to do and instantly looked away. Harleen was slyly trying to get her way back to discuss Katherine's problems, and she refused to play any part of it. Hence, she stared at the wall, feeling the silence creep its way back in.

It wasn't after another deafening hour, Katherine was back in her cell, laying on the rather cold sheets.

-x-

"Get up," she heard a voice say. "Come on. It's lunch time, van Hugh."

Katherine groaned, wearily opening her eyes. "What?" she muttered, her eyes dropping shut. "Go away," she sighed, weakly pushing the person aside.

"It's the only time in the day you'll get to eat lunch, now rise."

Through her sleepy head, Katherine imagined hamburgers and pizza and felt her mouth water. "Okay, okay," she mumbled. "I'm coming."

Yawning, she rose wearily, realizing her doctor standing next to her. She wiped at her eyes and lazily got up. Shuffling her way to her sink, Katherine washed her face and wiped at it. She unknowingly pressed her bruises and groaned, instantly taking her hands away.

"Dammit," she muttered, closing the water. Turning, she faced her doctor.

"Aren't you going to bring me food?" she asked, confused.

"You were too weak to go to the Asylum's cafeteria, so I brought your food to you. Now, you don't only walk but also kick around. It's safe to say you can go."

Muttering some indecent replies, Katherine walked out of her cell.

The guard handcuffed her and three of them made their way to the elevator.

-x-

Okay, woah. What the hell was this place?

Through the bulletproof glass, Katherine eyed the cafeteria for the prisoners from outside the room. A lot of them chattered and spoke so loudly, Katherine thought she was in some sort of circus instead of an Asylum.

Suddenly remembering a clown, she searched the crowd for a familiar face. Before she could search any more, the metal door to her front hissed open. Her doctor put his ID card away and ushered her inside.

There, two bulky guards watched over the door. To the other side of the monitored room, another two bulky guards were positioned. Sighing, she followed her doctor.

He opened another metal door with his ID card and ushered her inside the cafeteria.

Katherine knew the door could only open from the outside, much less with a card, so planning an escape from here seemed quite hard to accomplish. Especially when around ten bulky guards spread around the corners of the cafeteria, watching every inmate carefully.

Above them was another floor with men clasping military rifles. They were stationed at every side, strolling from one side to the other, examining the room for any funny act. This place was secured and Katherine spotted a few cameras surveying every act performed by the prisoners.

Feeling sort of out of place, Katherine walked through the crowded space, doing her best to avoid any body to body contact.

It was like a school's cafeteria but with armed men and real psycho's. She was sure bullies here would do more damage than just stealing your lunch money. Walking up to the food stance, Katherine grabbed a tray and started walking next to the aisle of food.

She eyed them through the plastic glass, trying to decide what to eat. Seriously, would making pizza hurt them? Okay, fine. Maybe not making, but what about ordering? If they wanted Katherine to heal, she should tell them pizza helped her. Maybe then...

She shrugged, putting cold mashed potatoes on her plastic plate. Grabbing some lettuce and pickles, Katherine strolled to the drinks. There was nothing but water. Surprise, surprise.

Pouring water to her plastic cup, Katherine grabbed a plastic spoon and fork and searched the crowd for a place to sit.

She stood on her tiptoes and surveyed the area, literally finding no empty spot. Did they also sit in groups like the students did in school?

Katherine walked in between the tables, trying to find a place she could squeeze into.

_Here is where the goth kids sit_, she eyed a table with fat prisoners eating their food. Some had tattoos while others scars. Making a sarcastic voice, Katherine eyed another table.

_This is where the white common girls sit_, she mentally chuckled as she watched men chattering non-stop whilst consuming their meal.

Moving on, Katherine found a table filled with women. _This table should, by all means, be avoided_. Nodding, Katherine bypassed them and their glares.

Okay, she was weird, she knew that and had come to terms with it, but literally. Was there no empty seat? Would she go the bathroom and eat like a loner?

"C'mon," Katherine sighed, her shoulders sagging. Suddenly growling, she stomped her way to a table and got on top of it. "Excuse me ladies," she breathed out as she climbed the steel surface. "This will take just a minute."

They gave her weird looks and some even grabbed their plastic forks. Katherine made sure to hurry up.

Standing tall, she gazed around the area for an empty seat. Eyes narrowed, she scanned deeply, her eyes stopping at every table.

After looking at the sixth table, right next to it, Katherine found not only a seat empty, but the entire steel table vacant. There were many heads and bodies, so if one was sitting there, Katherine couldn't quite tell.

Jumping down, Katherine made her way to the only vacant spot.

People eyed her curiously, while others muttered to each other. Ignoring them, Katherine neared the spot and sighing, walked between standing bodies.

"Pardon," she squeezed in. "Uh, excuse me. Pardon. Hello, move out of my way. Sorry. Thank you."

Crossing many people who eyed her with an unreadable expression, Katherine finally came into the clearing. Clearing her throat, she neared the table and gently put down her tray.

Pushing her ebony locks out of the way, she made a move to sit but that was before Katherine realized _who_ exactly sat before her.

Her eyes widened and she nearly yelped at the view. But all the surprise melted into a fluttery feeling in her belly with her heart beating like a drum inside her chest.

_And this is where the cool kids sit_, Katherine mentally said, half grinning.

The Joker sat at the table, his hands cuffed and his gaze on his full, untouched food. This was s_oooo_ awesome! Katherine nearly did a happy dance. Clearing her throat, Katherine gradually sat down, ignoring the sudden stares from other inmates.

At the shuffling of her clothes and sound, the Joker's head rose and his bold gaze landed on her. Katherine picked up her plastic fork and stabbed a pickle while ignoring his gaze for reasons unknown.

Finally she sighed, not being able to look down any longer. Katherine gazed up, smiling as she said, "Hello."

The Joker slightly narrowed his eyes as he angled his face to the side. After a few minutes of silence, he at last said, "Ya don't fear me, do ya?"

Katherine was about to eat her pickle but she stopped midway, her mouth slightly open. Closing it, she made a face. "Why would I fear you?" she asked his rhetorical question. Wait, was that why the table was vacant, because people _feared_ him?

The Joker released a huff of air, as if insulted, and pursed his lips. "Because I can slice your pretty face right this moment and ya won't even be able to stop it."

He sounded so dead serious, Katherine suddenly found it hard to breathe. He'd also called her bruised face _pretty_, nearly melting her to the very ground. "Oh." Was all she offered, before going back to awkwardly digging her food.

The Joker glared at her, giving her the look to take her leave already. Katherine played dumb, ignoring his eyes at every direction.

She bit her pickle and loved how sour and sweet it tasted all at the same time. She couldn't help but moan at the taste, closing her eyes in ecstasy as she did so. When Katherine opened them, she found the Joker staring at her with one brow arched.

"What?" she chewed. "It's surprisingly really good or I'm just very hungry."

He formed a tiny scoff, biting his inner cheeks as he tossed a bored look over his shoulder. People were still staring and some were silent as others muttered words into each others ears. Katherine paid them no heed as she asked the Joker, "Why aren't you eating?"

The Joker suddenly slammed an arm down at the table, causing a booming sound. With that hand, he pointed a slender finger at her, narrowing his eyes as he uttered with a husky purr, "Y'know, ya sound just like my mother."

Katherine stared at him dumfounded, not really knowing if that was an annoyed response, a compliment, or a sign she should shut up.

"Is that... a bad thing?" she softly murmured, in a way afraid of his reaction. He rolled his eye balls up, pretending to think of an answer to her question. He drummed his fingers on the steel surface and gritted his teeth together.

"Uh, yes," he suddenly said, eyeing her intently. "Very bad indeed," he slurred out.

Katherine slowly got a spoon full of mashed potatoes and, without breaking eye contact with the Joker, gradually put it in her mouth. He narrowed his eyes, suddenly leaning closer on the table.

His plump, sensuous lips were slightly parted as he bit at the insides of his cheeks. "I saw ya yesterday," he randomly stated. "Not the princess type, are ya, sweet Kathe_rrr_ine?"

Katherine instantly stopped whatever she was doing and locked him in place. "What did you just call me?" her voice dropped so low, but the Joker formed a sudden smile, which meant he'd heard her and didn't give two shits about the warning in Katherine's voice.

"Kathe_rrr_ine?" He slurred out, raising a teasing brow up. She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer on the table. "How do you know my name?" she evenly asked.

The Joker bit the inside of his lower lip as his gaze zeroed on her form. "_How, how, how_." He murmured. "How, indeed?"

Katherine suddenly banged her hand on the table, earning another cheeky smile from the Joker. "Please don't joke around," she softly uttered in comparison to the brutal act she'd just performed.

The Joker leaned back on his chair and pointed a finger at her. "Ah, I like that sentence." He slightly hissed.

Katherine felt a blush form at his compliment, and she naively gazed down. "Thanks," she muttered. "But really," she stated firmly. "How do you know my name?"

He sighed, shrugging his broad shoulders up. "Maybe I heard your useless of a doctor utter it yesterday," he stated. Katherine '_Oh_'d' and gazed down, suddenly feeling stupid.

"O_rrr_," the Joker tapped his chin thrice before saying, "I know it maybe because it is _my_ blood you took."

The air around her suddenly became chilly as Katherine gradually gazed up. "What?" she croaked, feeling her body release a tremor. The Joker eyed her with interest now, tilting his face to the side.

"It was you?" She asked, feeling flutters in her belly. "You gave me blood? You _saved_ me?" Katherine couldn't believe her ears. It was the Joker who provided her the blood she needed. It was he who bothered to rescue her. Oh Lord...

Was this why her doctor and psychiatrist refused to tell Katherine who transfused the blood, because it was the one and only infamous Joker? Because he was this notorious criminal who didn't deserve simple appreciation?

"Thank you," Katherine blabbered out. "No, really. Thank you so much. I feel so cool right now, I don't know." She brought her hands close to her face, examining them as she did so. The Joker's blood now ran inside her system, moulding and mixing with hers in a way that made Katherine's heart skip a beat.

"I have your blood within me," she looked at the Joker with wide eyes.

He narrowed his, muttering a, "Yes."

Katherine formed a bubbly laugh, rubbing her hands together. "Awesome!" She exclaimed, feeling overly excited all of a sudden.

The Joker leaned back, suddenly grabbing his plastic fork.

"Yer happy face is pissing me off, Kitty-Kat. Why don't ya, uh, get lost?" He ran his tongue against his straight teeth and glared. Katherine felt insulted all of a sudden. She eyed him, feeling her excitement wear off.

"Why?" she dumbly asked. "Even you can't stand the happy sight of me? Is it so wrong for me to be happy?" Katherine felt hurt all of a sudden. Here she was, accompanying him on this very table, talking with him while no one even bothered, and thanking him from the bottom of her heart, and he just tells her to _get lost_.

Gritting her teeth, Katherine suddenly eyed her food. With snarl, she powerfully pushed the tray of food onto the floor.

It fell with a clatter and all the food spilled around her feet. "Fine. I'll get lost, you fucker." Katherine pointed a finger at him. The Joker leaned on the table, resting his chin under his hand as he gazed at her with interest.

"And don't call me Kitty-Kat or I'll show you how Kitty I can get." Whipping around, Katherine stomped away, the crowd of prisoners eyeing her in quite disbelief. A little silence followed her but, after a few stomps, Katherine cursed loudly, walking back to the table.

Glaring at the Joker, Katherine stubbornly strode to his side and grabbed his tray of food. "I'm hungry, and you made me spill all of my food. Be a gentlemen." With that, she tried to walk away but the Joker suddenly grabbed her wrist, instantly shoving her against his body.

Gasping, Katherine fell on his lap with force and instantly felt something edgy press against her throat.

"R-Release me," she shakily ordered. He breathed on her face, his warmth caressing her skin and making her shiver. With a jerk, Katherine made a move to escape, but that sharp object against her throat pressed deeper into her soft flesh.

"A _ta ta ta ta_," the Joker suddenly breathed out, unknowingly making his right-sided scars roughly brush against her soft cheek. Katherine internally liked the feel of them, but externally, it was more of a threat than a consolation.

"Ya see," the Joker swallowed, then smacked his lips. "I was thinking about making this plastic fork disappear."

He sighed, pressing the edgy object deeper into her throat. Katherine gasped, realizing it was the fork he held in his tight clasp. Way to go figure, she drily complimented herself.

She was supposed to be freaking out, and she kind of was, but Katherine was enjoying sitting on his lap more. Maybe she did need help, after all.

"Release her," a sudden rough voice sounded behind them. Katherine tried to see who it was but the fork against her throat didn't let her.

The Joker grunted as he tossed an annoyed look at the intruder without moving his face away from hers.

"Wait, just give me a second." He raised a finger at the intruder, indicating the man he was almost done.

From the corner of her eye, Katherine spotted the intruder suddenly grab the Joker's hand, making her gasp in fear for the worst. But Katherine knew better than to fear for the Joker's safety.

He instantly released her and abruptly stood up. In a matter of a few seconds, Katherine heard the sliding of a chair against a surface, the sudden low growl from the Joker, and the sickening sound of something being stabbed into a mushy object.

From the ground she currently lay on, Katherine watched the Joker twist the guards arm and slam his head against the steel table, sending the fork stabbed into his right eye deeper into his skull.

"Ta-da!" The Joker roughly laughed out, splaying his arms as far as he could. Katherine gulped, looking at the unconscious guard who lay on the table in an awkward position, and at the Joker, watching him spread that well-known smirk across his face. Unlike him, Katherine liked his happy face.

But knowing that he could've done that to her if it wasn't for the guard made Katherine suddenly jump up.

She unevenly breathed in and out, spotting guards push their way to the Joker's side.

The ones at the second floor pointed their rifles at him, daring him to make another move. Katherine glanced back at the Joker, seeing him arch his brow at her.

Without a word, he walked over to the table and patted the dead guards back. "Now, now," he said, "let's have some manners at the table, hm?"

With that, he roughly pushed his body down onto the floor and took his seat at the table. Katherine heard the loud thud as the guard hit the floor and eyed the Joker with unknown feelings.

He just killed somebody.

"Woah," she at last let out, jumping across the dead body of the guard and taking her seat at the table. "How did you do that?" She asked.

The Joker shrugged, "Broke the fork and put it to some use."

Katherine leisurely nodded, eyeing his food. Suddenly grabbing his spoon from across the table, Katherine swept a spoonful of mashed potatoes from his plate.

She ate it, liking how it displeased him. "Sorry, but a girl's gotta eat."

The guards finally arrived their spot and instantly shoved the Joker's head against the table. Katherine yelped.

Rolling his eyes, the Joker smacked his lips together. "Alright, alright," he drily said. "It was wrong of me to litter the floor. My bad."

"Shut up!" One of the guards shouted, grabbing a taizor. Katherine acted quickly. She jumped on top of the table and kicked the guard in the face, sending him to the floor.

The Joker straightened and twirled around to see the guard. "Hm." He pursed his lips and shrugged.

Others came at her and Katherine, breaking the spoon in half and bringing out the sharper side, stabbed one in the shoulder.

She was surprised it worked. "Did you see that?" She eagerly asked the Joker, smiling at him. "It actually worked, oh my God."

Another made his way to the Joker and grabbed him from the back. The Joker kicked his leg out and aimed the guard in the groin. With a bored expression on his face, he suddenly wrapped the guards neck around his arms, and bringing the man's head to rest on his shoulder, the Joker cracked his neck in half.

Katherine winced at the sight but had other ones to take care of. They were clearly outnumbered and that was unsettling for her. The Joker got up on the table and kicked one guard in the face.

"Ya see, this is why I wanted you to go." He shook his head. "Ya bring this trouble every where y'go."

Katherine whipped around to eye him. "Wait, are you blaming me?"

He tossed her a knowing look, indicating her that he was doing exactly that. "How dare you?" she shot back. "I saved your ass from getting taizored and this is how you thank me?"

"Save me?" The Joker tossed her a look, waving those words away as if in irrelevance.

"Yes, save you." Katherine growled. "I don't know why I'm helping you right now but I better get a thank you afterwards."

"Sweet Kitty-Kat, I'm the one aiding you here." The Joker scoffed.

"What?" She retorted.

"Ya shouldn't have kicked the guard in the, uh, face." He pointed.

"So you would rather get taizored, is that what you mean?"

The Joker smacked his lips. "Hm."

Katherine gasped. "Fine." She gritted out. "I'm so done."

Just as she was about to take her leave, something hot and pointy pinched her neck. Brows furrowing, Katherine reached for the object and felt her fingers brush a feathery needle.

Abruptly grabbing it out, Katherine eyed the needle that was shot by a tranquiliser gun. "Shit," she muttered before feeling her neck drop to the side.

Feeling her world spin in circles and the faint shouts and murmurs of the prisoners, Katherine dropped to the table with a thud.

Her eyes rolled from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of the Joker. Where was he?

He suddenly came to her line of sight, his hand briefly slapping her back to reality. Katherine lifted her hand to touch his face. He rolled his eyes, sighing in weariness.

She bit her lip, realizing her arm weighed a ton. But she didn't give up, Kathrine would touch him skin to skin. She would trail her fingertips across his scars, even if it meant fighting the effects of this drug.

Katherine suddenly spotted the feathery needle whiz behind the Joker and aim his shoulder. He frowned, looked back, and took the needle out. Rolling his eyes, he tossed it aside, commanding her to regain her conscious.

Wait, why wasn't he dropping dead like her?

Katherine fought the sudden sleepiness, trying to reach for the Joker. At last, surely an eternity later, her fingers brushed the side of his face. He instantly froze, his eyes narrowing as he slightly bared his teeth at her.

Katherine formed a lazy smile, her lids dropping shut. With the image of his priceless reaction, she drifted to hibernation.

-x-

_**AN:**_ _Alright. I feel sort of out of place. I don't even know what I'm doing LOL. Having no plans whatsoever for a story is quite frightening. But it's okay, I had fun._

_Tell me how you guys think in the reviews! Would love to hear more from you_ :)

**Thanks to all who reviewed! You guys make me happy, really. Thanks amigos!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN**_: _I know I keep changing the summary, but I will, for now, leave it as it is. Because I don't have a storyline for this novel, hence how could I write a summary without a plan? I hope you guys dont mind. Read at your own risk._

_Now, the moment you've been waiting for... or not. Idk. Enjoy!_ :D

Tell me a Joke

Chapter Four

The Joker lurked in the darkness, his shoulders hunched and his head inclined to the right in an unwelcome manner. His dark eyes burned the figure that lay on the solid mattress with dangerous depths that he was surprised she wasn't set on actual fire.

He took a silent step towards the sleeping figure, watching her with quite an interest. The Joker had to admit, he did feel amusement spark in his chest for sneaking up on her. He wondered how she'd react once the knowledge of her not being alone in the room settled on her senses. Surely she would not react differently than the previous encounters. Fiery, daring, surprising, and angry.

Kitty-Kat was sure something.

Pursing his lips, the Joker skipped his way to her in a playful manner, and once he reached his destination, he gazed down in that creepy way of his that would send even the toughest of man to a corner in fright. Well, not all. There was of course the Batman.

His tall, lean form slightly bent forward, his shoulders drawing up to his ears and his lips briefly pulling back in a hiss. He stood there unmoving. Silent. Waiting.

-x-

Katherine shifted in her sleep, grunting as she felt sleep suddenly abandon her. Wearily, she sighed, lazily turning to her right. Just when she was about to close her eyes again, the sudden dark figure before her startled her, causing a sudden scream to erupt from her lips.

But before it could escape, a hand suddenly shut it with a press against her lips. Katherine panicked, her eyes widening. In fright, she sent a leg flying towards her captor, who easily dodged it with a slight lean of his hips to the side. She tried to kick again, but this time he caught it, his hands snapping at her flesh. Behind the warm, hard hand, Katherine let a gasp escape.

The figure slowly started to lean forward, his knees bending until he crouched down to her level, resting his weight on his feet.

The sudden face of the Joker greeted Katherine, causing her to suddenly widen her eyes even more. _What the..._

"H_ii_." He huskily purred.

She wanted to utter '_Joker_', but the hand resting on her mouth didn't budge. Hence, Katherine suddenly nipped at the flesh, instantly catching his attention. He narrowed his eyes.

"Livin' u_p_ to yer name, ain't ye Ki_tt_y-Ka_t_?" he sighed, taking his both palms away from her figure. Katherine unintentionally mourned the loss of his hot palm on her leg, but she quickly shrugged it off. Narrowing her eyes, she gave the Joker a push on the shoulders, sending his lean figure on his ass.

He huffed. Then softly cackled, as if amused. "Ha, ooh, I _lik_e ye." He cheekily smiled at her. Katherine rose to a sitting position and hissed out, "I like you too but what the hell are you doing here!"

In the darkness, Katherine noticed him roll his eyes, those dark coals gleaming before her.

"Ya didn't come to lunch today." He shrugged, tossing a bored look to the side. "I wa'just wonderin' why."

"I did come to lunch," Katherine rubbed at her heavy eyes and yawned. "I saved your ass from getting taizored, remember?"

The Joker scoffed. "That was yesterday, hun. I see ye were still out like the dead, mm?"

"Wait, what?" Katherine frowned. "That was yesterday? Wait, what the hell!" Her anger flared. "I was out since yesterday?! What the hell did they inject me with? God, I'll kill them! All of them! And, hey!" She pointed a finger at the Joker. "How come you're awake and well when I saw you get shot by that tranquilizer gun?"

He rested his elbows on his bent knees and shrugged, as if the incident was none of his concern. "Doesn't ma_tt_er, now does i_t_?"

Katherine scowled, her brows furrowing deep. Crossing her arms over her middle, she huffed, feeling her anger subside a little. "How the hell did you get inside here without getting caught, anyways?" She at last let out, eyeing him.

"Tricks. Speaking of my fa_vvv_orite hobby," he bit his lower lip and tugged at his inner scars with his teeth. "Who is yer, uh," he clacked his tongue. "Psychiatrist?"

Katherine straightened, her eyes slightly narrowing in confusion. "Why do you want to know?" She asked, resting her palms below the sides of her thighs.

"Because I want to, now spill."

Katherine shrugged, twirling a strand of her ebony hair between her fingers. "Hmmm," she sighed. "It's that Harleen Quinzel woman."

The Joker suddenly grinned in mischief. "I see," he softly slurred. Katherine suddenly eyed him, feeling her stomach release a quiver. "Why... are you asking?"

He pursed his lips. "Because I'm planning something," he hissed inwardly. "Beau_ttt_iful." The Joker suddenly stood up, his hand unkindly pushing her right arm. "Now move."

How very typical. Rolling her eyes at him in the darkness, Katherine made space for him on the small bed. He sat down with a jump, making the mattress below her quiver up and down rather too stiffly.

"Ya see," he started, leaning backwards and resting his weight on his right elbow. As though in a shampoo commercial, the Joker swiftly jerked his face to the side, removing a piece of brown curly strand away from his face, and smacked his lips.

"I believe ya can help me with this, uh," he waved his fingers in the air to find the right word. "This, pfft, organization."

Katherine nodded, not really getting him. "Okay, yeah. I don't understand," she leaned back as well, resting her weight on her left elbow and eyeing him through her thick lashes. He roughly sighed, his heated breath caressing her face in the small distance between them. "Please elaborate."

"Yah, alrighty." He sucked his inner cheeks, and eyed her. "I wish to destroy this... this," he hissed, forming his left hand into a fist in an excited manner. "_This_ Harley Quinn."

"Harleen Quinzel," Katherine corrected. The Joker tossed her a bored look and angled his face a little down. "Don't correct me, Kitty-Ka_t_." He pointed his index finger at her and slightly let it bump her nose.

She narrowed her eyes. With swift motions, Katherine instantly caught his finger between her teeth and bit.

The Joker released a cackle, his chest heaving in and out. "Haa, I don't regret naming ya Kitty-Ka_t_. Not-One-Bi_t_."

"Don't point your finger at me, and don't call me Kitty-Kat. I don't like it," Katherine frowned.

"Then it's a good _thang_ I don't give a damn what ye like or not. Hm." He withdrew his hand back and stared up at the ceiling.

Katherine growled, earning another pleased, cheeky smile from the Joker. Seriously, just a few weeks ago, she was dying to have a glimpse of this man. Now that she had, Katherine was learning how infuriating he can truly be. But she knew not to take this as granted, hence she'd enjoy whatever he'd throw at her for the time being.

"So," she said, liking how chilled they sat on her bed, in her cell, and not giving a damn if someone would barge in or not. "Like I asked before, please elaborate. And tell me why would you want to destroy my psychiatrist. Surely she didn't do anything to displease you."

The Joker stuck his lips out, humming an eerie melody. "She intrigues me," he started, causing Katherine to slightly frown. "She's this... _doll_," he formed his hands into a choking manner before his face and hissed. "This doll I want to break-_uh_."

Katherine stared at him for a few heartbeats, not entirely getting his motives. "Okay... alright. You don't like dolls, I take it. And dolls are perfect, so you don't like perfection either. So, your plan is to, hmm, lead her astray from this perfect world she lives in and give her a piece of your mind. Is that it?"

The Joker leisurely gazed at her and formed a slow smile. "Exactly." He gave her nose another bump with his index finger.

Katherine pursed her lips, and nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Now we're talkin'," he huskily purred.

"We've been talking this whole time, but okay." Katherine dismissed the glare he shot after her comment and uttered, "In your next session, I want ye to simply say," he splayed his hands open, as though to show something magical, "'Chains hold the slaves down, and ya are no slave'."

Katherine stared at him dumbfounded. "That's it?" She asked bluntly.

He pursed his lips. "Hm."

"Wow," Katherine scoffed. "That was so deep, I'm sure she's gonna get so emotional about that whole chains thing. I mean, come one!" Katherine got serious, splaying her arm wide. "You should do better than 'Chains hold the slaves down, and you are no slave'," she mimicked his words in a deep voice. "That will not destroy her, that'll just make her think I'll need more help."

"And ya do if ya think that will not destroy _my dear_ Harley Quinn." He clacked his tongue.

Katherine stared at him with a blank expression on her face. "Harleen Quinzel," she plainly corrected him. "And I don't need _help_."

With that, Katherine rose to stand, feeling her mood go black and cloudy. Or tried to before she was jerked right back down on the mattress. Air escaping her lips, Katherine glared at the Joker. He gifted her with another cheeky smile.

"Can ya hear me out, girly?"

"What?" Katherine snapped.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Ever so impatient, little Kitty-Ka_t_."

"I'm," she gritted out, "not... Kitty-Kat. I'm Katherine, understand?"

The Joker chuckled, his warm breath caressing her cheeks. Damn. So luring, yet very infuriating. With a grunt, Katherine knocked his elbow out from below his figure, sending him fully down on the mattress. He _oo_f'd, then formed a heaved laugh.

Katherine threw a leg over his waist and rose to settle herself on his belly. He arched a brow at her, but Katherine merely offered him a dry, attitude laced smile. Swiftly, she grabbed his collar and tugged him close.

"I like you. I really do. I'm most probably your biggest fan, but," Katherine hissed. The Joker put his palms up in innocence, clearly mocking their current situation. "Never. Ever. Call. Me. That. I don't like it. It makes me seem weak."

"Weak-_uh_?" The Joker purred.

"Yes," Katherine eyed him. "Weak."

"Hm." He pursed his lips, tilting his head to the side.

With speed faster than hers, much _deadlier_, the Joker suddenly grabbed the back of her head, his fingers pulling her ebony locks tightly. Katherine gasped softly. He rose upwards, his body closing in on hers. Soon, they sat face to face, her body dropping to his thighs.

"Listen," he swallowed, rolling his eyeballs up. "I don't really think tellin' me what to do is, uh, decent. I'll call ya whateve_rrr_ I want and you just," he roughly pronounced the words. "Go. With. The. Flow. Mm?"

Katherine ran her tongue against her teeth and brought her hand up. She slightly winced when his clasp around her head tightened but refused to back down.

She grabbed his hand and tried to tug it away from her head.

"Let go," she hissed. "Or I'll bite you."

The Joker formed a cheeky smile, revealing his straight yet stained teeth. "Oh. Is that so?"

Katherine gritted her teeth.

"I'd like to see you try, Ki_tt_y-Ka_t_." He nodded.

Katherine suddenly whipped her head forward and, baring her teeth, she dug it deep into the flesh of his neck. She vaguely realized how his clasp loosened the instant she attacked, as if allowing her to bite him, and stiffened.

Throwing his head back, the Joker heaved out another laughter.

Katherine frowned, leisurely pulling back, and stared at him.

"You feel no pain, do you?" She asked, slowly shaking her head. "Before I passed out in the cafeteria, I saw the needle aim your shoulder. But you simply pulled it out like it was nothing and continued to keep me awake. Seriously," Katherine cocked her head to the side. "What the hell are you?"

The Joker suddenly eyed her, pursing his lips. After a few minutes of silence, he huskily uttered, "I'm an agent of chaos."

Katherine raised her brows up in question, not really understanding his answer. But before she could say anything else, he grabbed her hips, making her gasp, and, with force, threw her down on the floor.

Katherine fell on the ground hard, her butt feeling as though it was smashed in. She groaned, glaring up at him and rubbing her back.

"Asshole." She muttered.

"Kitty-Kat." He retorted, rising up. Katherine suddenly eyed his leaving form. Aside what he had done, she didn't want him to leave. Not now.

"Hey!" She pointed, getting up as well. "Where are you going?"

He twirled around, facing her. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe back to my, uh, cell?"

Katherine huffed, rolling her eyes. "You should've been in your cell about twenty minutes ago. So, no," she shook her hand in the air. "You can't leave."

"Yes, I can." He cocked his face to the side. He looked so eerie in the darkness, his silhouette a monstrous shape.

"No, wait." Katherine jogged up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "I have an idea," she smiled, pushing him against the wall. "Let's practice."

The Joker smacked his lips. "Ummm, come again?"

"I want to practice my first role in acting," Katherine said, shrugging. "That whole 'Chains hold the slaves down' blah blah blah thing."

"Kitty-Kat." He warned.

"Meow," she randomly retorted. "Okay, here it goes," pulling up a serious face, Katherine glared at him. "Chains hold the slaves down, and you are no slave."

"Ya need help."

"Okay, again." Licking her lips, Katherine calmly said, "Chains hold the slaves down, and you are no slave."

He tsked.

Exhaling, Katherine bit her lip and winked at him. With a flirtatious accent, she uttered, "Chains, mmm," she licked her lips, "hold the slaves down, and you are no slave." She gave her ebony locks a quick shake to heat up the accent.

The Joker didn't look moved by it at all. "What other things are you worst a_t_, hm?"

Katherine punched him in the shoulder, "I'm good. You're just a bad judge, that's all."

The Joker rolled his eyes. "Maybe askin' ye was a bad decision, as well."

"Hey," Katherine lamely retorted, feeling quite hurt. "I'm... good. Wait, seriously, why did you ask me to do your bidding, anyways? Why not another to help ruin this innocent Harleen Quinzel?"

"Hm." The Joker tossed a sheepish glance to the side. "I chose you because," his voice trailed on, the tone trying hard not to sound offensive. Katherine suddenly understood and opened her mouth to protest, but only ended up glaring at him in disbelief.

"Because I'm already fucked up, is that it?" Katherine, at last, found her voice.

The Joker stuck his lips out and pointed a finger at her, as if indicating she was right. "Uh, correct."

Katherine gasped. "You asshole!" She pushed at him. "You fucking asshole! You-You-Get out!" She pointed at the door. "Fuck you! I hope you get taizored in your sleep!"

The Joker rolled his eyes, forming an exasperated expression. Oh, now she was tiring him? Was that it?

"Am I annoying you with my fucked up ways, huh?" Katherine dryly smiled at him. "Should I care to stop this nuisance? Oh, wait, I can't. I'm clearly fucked up."

"Kitty-Ka-"

"Shut up!" Katherine growled, feeling her anger flare and rise and whip against her self control like a lash.

_The only person,_ she pursed her lips to suppress a cry. The only person she looked up to with such adoration and admiration had openly judged her without even knowing her full name. The only person she could somehow relate herself to saw her as some fucked up nuisance. How _could_ he?

The Joker suddenly grabbed her shoulders and smashed her against the nearest wall, earning a sharp gasp from her. He closed in and grabbed the back of her head again, his face inches away from hers. His enthralling dark eyes bored deep into hers, almost reaching her soul. Katherine suddenly felt exposed.

"Ya never let me finish, do ya?" He huskily uttered. Katherine narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling them sting with wetness. Oh... God, no.

A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she fought so hard to ignore it. He had hurt her feelings so badly, Katherine cursed herself for letting him empower her own conscious like that. _Never again_, she promised herself, never again would she weaken herself to this creature.

"Ya are, uh," he let his fingers dance in the air in attempts to find the right words, "fucked up, yes. But the good kind of fucked up, the kind that I li_k_e."

Katherine frowned at him, not buying his words.

"It is good to be different, and I like that 'bout ya, Kitty-Ka_t_. Oh, I like i_t_ very much," he roughly sighed.

"You... like me?" Katherine lamely blurted out.

The Joker rolled his eyes up. "Well," he smacked his lips. "I'm starting to."

The anger in her slowly started to ease down and coolness swept over the heat, making her sigh. "I... like you too," Katherine shrugged. "It's just that," she bit her lip. "I don't like it when people accuse me of being other than normal because it's-"

"Not yer fault." The Joker finished in a monotone voice. Katherine gazed up at him, eyeing him in slight surprise. "Yes. Exactly."

Tracing his scars with his pink tongue, the Joker backed away.

"I'm sorry for my outburst." Katherine offered.

The Joker scoffed. "No, you're not."

Slowly Katherine smiled. "No, I'm not."

Smacking his lips, the Joker, surprisingly, strode to where her toilet was.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Katherine followed him.

He hummed a playful melody, nearly skipping steps while he did so, and completely ignored her question.

He closed the lid of the toilet and got on top of it. Katherine eyed him in confusion. Then, when he gazed up at the ceiling, his feet changing their position ever so often as he searched for something that was there, Katherine realized his motives.

"Holy shit," she nearly gasped. "You came down from my ceiling?"

"Mhm." He muttered, stretching up. "How?" She asked.

That must've caught his attention because he suddenly stared down at her. "How?" he questioned her, a little rhetorical laugh to his tone.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Oh, pardon me for not knowing the process of a creep trying to sneak into a prisoner's cell."

"Pa_r_doned."

Katherine huffed, thinking for the hundredth time how very typical this was. After a moment, she sighed, asking, "Do you need help?"

The Joker glanced down at her. "Hm." He tapped his chin. Then, shrugging in a '_why the hell not_' manner, he ushered her closer with a wave of his hand.

Stepping closer to him, Katherine glanced up. "Okay, now what?"

"No_www_," he smoothly prolonged the word, "I want ya to interlace your fingers together and open both your palms."

"Okay," Katherine frowned, doing as she was told. "Now what? Wait, are you going to step on my-?"

"_B_ingo!" The Joker happily interrupted, placing his foot on her waiting palms. He grabbed her one shoulder and swiftly hefted himself up. Before Katherine could complain about his weight, he was already dangling mid-air, his upper body vanishing into what seemed as an air conditioning vent hole.

She had that in her room? How weird. Maybe her delusional mind blocked all her senses of escaping, since she was guarded at every turn, she missed to actually check for escape routes.

By the time her day dreaming finished, the Joker was already inside the tunnels, his dark curly hair leisurely disappearing in the darkness.

A heavy, led like feeling settled on Katherine's belly, causing her to pout in disappointment. "And now he's gone too," she sighed, a little upset.

"Talkin' to yer'self, mm?" The Joker's voice resounded, instantly catching Katherine's attention and making her glance up. "Don't worry," he waved the comment off. "I do that all the time."

She formed a wide smile. "Already missed me?"

He scoffed, rolling her his eyes. "I missed to close back the ven_t_," he smacked his lips. Katherine sighed, shaking her head. He was so insensitive, did he know that?

Before he screwed back the vent (Katherine had no idea where in the world he got that screw driver from), he poked his head out and muttered, "To_d_ay is shower's day. Be prepared, Kitty-Ka_t_. It'll be quite a mess."

Katherine got on top of the toilet lid and looked closer at his face. "Shower's day?" She asked. The Joker rolled his eyes, in the process of blowing her off with a sarcastic comment when Katherine interrupted midway, "Will you be there?"

"Yes." He said.

Katherine nodded.

Damn, how long has it been since she showered, anyways? She shuddered at the thought, forming a grossed out face.

"C'ya," he hastily waved.

"Oh. Okay." Katherine replied back, her disappointment returning.

Before he could close the vent hole, Katherine called out. "Hey Joker?"

After a heartbeat, his head poked back out. "What?" He smacked his lips.

Katherine bit her lip, slightly hesitating. Then, thinking to just screw it, she asked anyways. "Can you... like, y'know, come again? I mean, visit me again?"

The Joker rolled his eyes up, mocking the action of thinking, and gazing down at her, plainly answered, "Um, nope."

With that, he closed the vent hole and disappeared, leaving the stunned Katherine all by herself. After a while, she scoffed, thinking how very typical his response was. Huffing, she strolled back to her bed and jumped down, feeling her head make contact with her pillow.

Biting her lips, she lay in silence, for the first time realizing how lonely she really was.

-x-

"How do you feel, Katherine?"

Katherine sat in the presence of her psychiatrist, Harleen Quinzel, and still gazed at the white, plain wall in disinterest.

She didn't see the Joker in the hallway, which was very odd, and felt her mood blacken. Why had he not come like the usual?

Sighing, she gazed at her psychiatrist and decided to start her acting.

"I feel like a captive." She retorted.

"A captive?" Harleen calmly asked, scribbling her answer on her notepad. "Why would you feel like a captive?"

Katherine nearly rolled her eyes. "Because I'm fucking handcuffed, because I'm treated like one, maybe that's why?"

Harleen sighed. "We're trying to help you, not imprison you."

"I sit and sleep in a cell, for God's sake. Of course I'd feel imprisoned, almost chained. Like a God damn slave."

Harleen slightly straightened. "A slave is not what you are, Katherine."

Katherine chuckled bitterly. "Of course not. I'm, in a way, more free than you'll ever be." She locked her eyes with her doctor. "It is you who's the slave here, Dr. Quinzel."

Her psychiatrist frowned, even that move making her pure face look delicate. "I can assure you I am no slave."

"Oh, please. You are bound to the rules of this society. You are bound to follow them, and you do. Ever. So. Blindly. You are bound to even treat me, because if you don't, how else are you going to keep yourself alive? You see," Katherine leaned forward, eyeing her intently. "You're a captive just like I am. But here's a teenie difference, you follow the rules. That is why I'm _bound _and you aren't. But know this, Dr. Quinzel," Katherine narrowed her eyes, causing Harleen to straighten and slightly tilt her chin upwards in defiance. "Chains hold the slaves down, and you are no slave."

Harleen's eyes suddenly widened and her pink lips parted in what seemed as shock. Katherine nearly grinned.

Mission accomplished.

"What... What did you just," Harleen breathed out. "What did you just say?"

Katherine shrugged sheepishly, looking back at the plain, white wall. "I just said what was in my mind, that is all."

For about another hour, they sat in silence, but only this time, it was Harleen who was lost in her musings and Katherine the waiting psychiatrist. But Katherine was more than surprised the cheap words actually worked.

It's not like she didn't mean her own words, she really did. That's how she survived until this very day. Katherine knew the bitter truth. But knowing the Joker's sentence affected this sweet, pure Harleen full force, Katherine was a bit worried where this was heading.

What was he planning?

-x-

After her session with Katherine van Hugh, Harleen paced her office, biting her nails as she did so. This whole thing was nerve wrecking, and Harleen knew,_ knew_ she would lose it soon.

Everything the Joker, her other patient, said was true. It was starting to make sense. His words like puzzles aligning themselves together just to display her the truth.

Harleen knew that a man was bound to his egoistical ways of thinking. They would not accept a statement that went against their beliefs, they would cover their ears just to avoid hearing the plain truth. They would be selfish, prideful, and would think of themselves as the right ones, the correct. The ones with clear judgement.

That's who Harleen thought herself as. She thought she was better than her patients when it came to normalcy. But... Everything the Joker uttered, even when Harleen tried her hardest to block out his words in their sessions, they still haunted her down in her office hours.

They were there, a tempting whisper against her ears. A little more, and they would unlock the doors she had locked away, breaking all Hell loose. She would go insane.

And yet that didn't unnerve her. Insanity is for people who can handle it. Those who can't, they lock themselves away in this pitiful, corrupt world, trying to convince themselves that they were normal. But the insane... Harleen inhaled deeply, they already saw what the world could do to them. And they weren't afraid of acting upon it. They were the heroes, and the rest were just cowards living in disguises and allowing themselves to feel superior.

This way of thinking, Harleen had never dared to think this way. Ever. But now, all her doors were slowly unlocking, and the truth was seeping into her and branding every fiber of her body with a goal. She knew it. Now she definitely did.

It was just like the Joker and Katherine van Hugh said: Chains hold the slaves down, and she was no slave.

She would be free.

Harleen had to just allow herself that privilege.

-x-

Katherine was handed a towel, undergarments and a new orange suit for the shower. Maybe a separate shower would've been nice, as well. Seriously, it was a mess in here, just like the Joker stated.

And to think that women and men were mixed didn't help sooth the knowledge of this uncivilized washing room. People literally fought for an empty shower stall.

A body flew straight to her right, causing Katherine to gasp. What the-

Another went to her left.

Okay, screw showering. She had to get out of here.

Shouts and arguments erupted from every corner. What made it worse was the fact that the room was steamy and foggy, the bodies barely even seen. It was good for the women, but seriously, Katherine wouldn't even be able to tell if a hammer was being thrown her direction.

She waved away the steam, slowly walking between the prisoner's. She had her undergarments on with a towel draped around her body. Her belongings were in a locker outside this chamber.

The ground was wet and slippery, nearly sending her toppling to the ground. She held herself steady and ready for any unexpected income.

A body suddenly flew right at her, making her scream. But before it made contact with her, somebody pulled her out of the way and into a shower stall. Gasping, Katherine whipped around to the see the person.

Through the fog and steam, she made out brown curly strands and a slightly tanned lean figure. She instantly straightened.

The Joker's face leisurely appeared through the thick steam, as though he was stepping out from some hazy dream, and slowly, eerily, he let a grin lift his scars up.

The image took the breath right out of Katherine's lungs, causing her to stare up at him in clear awe. She was sure her jaw had dropped all the way to the floor in surprise.

The water ran above his head, soaking the Joker's curly head and causing tiny rivulets of water to roll down his masculine face and figure. She dared not glance down.

Tightly grabbing at the hem of her towel, Katherine cleared her throat. He arched a brow at her. "Told ya it was gonna be messy," he purred. One strand fell on his face, causing him to slightly tilt his head to the side.

"I believe you. But it would be a miracle if someone made it out of here alive," Katherine grumbled, exaggerating the word 'alive'.

"Mhm. But no worries," he shrugged, turning around to wash his face. "They know I'm in here, and they won't dare trespass. Yer safe."

Katherine exhaled. "Good to know."

The Joker stood below the water as Katherine, awkwardly, stood a little farther, emitting no movement. At last, he turned around, facing her sideways. Katherine ignored how his back muscles flexed at the movement, and most importantly, ignored the scars that ran along his skin.

"What?" Katherine eyed him.

The Joker suddenly snatched the towel away from her form, exposing Katherine to the air, and made her take a few steps back. She hugged her middle, trying to cover whatever was showing. Lips parted, Katherine cautiously stared up at him.

He threw it on the hanger nailed against the wall, and pulled her forward under the water.

Katherine gasped loudly as the water hit her face and she, quite panicked, roughly wiped the wetness away from her cheeks.

"What the hell?" She nearly shouted.

"We'_reee_ given just an hour, Kitty-Ka_t_." He smacked his lips. "Let's not waste it."

Growling, Katherine turned around and started washing herself, not daring to remove her undergarments.

"This is so weird," she muttered to herself as her fingers combed her ebony strands.

"Mhm." The Joker uttered, applying shampoo on her head. Katherine's brows furrowed at his action, but she didn't say anything. He washed her head as Katherine began soaping her body from head to toe. When she was, unknowingly, moving away from the water, the Joker pulled her right back, muttering, "Stay still," in an annoyed tone.

Katherine rolled her eyes as she waited for him to finish washing her hair. Although it was very weird and clearly unexpected, she liked the feel of his big hands massaging her scalp and uncaringly tugging at her strands in attempts to remove the shampoo. She formed a lazy smile.

"You take so long," Katherine offered.

"Ya talk too much." He retorted.

Once done, Katherine soaped her body once again, removing all traces of shampoo, but when it came to her back, she tossed a glance at him. "Would you do me the honour?" She pointed at her back.

The Joker arched a brow at her. "It's because I can't soap it fully," Katherine rolled her eyes, trying to defend herself. But she knew, no matter how much she tried to deny it, Katherine wanted to know the feel of his hands on her back. What a perv she was.

She slightly cleared her throat as he run his soaped palms across her back, between her shoulder blades, and down her spine. She nearly giggled when he hit a ticklish spot. Katherine prayed he didn't notice, but he must've felt her muscles stiffen under his palms because he, slightly humming a melody, teasingly grazed a finger at her sides.

Katherine bit her lip to supress a bubbly laugh.

He performed feathery moves, making Katherine laugh out loud. "Okay!" She giggled. "Stop! Joker-" She was cut off by another laugh. "S-Stop, enough!"

"Hm." The Joker roughly sighed behind her. "I'm fond of _y_our laugh, Kitty-Ka_t_."

Slightly shaking her head, Katherine turned around. "Seriously?" She sighed. "I nearly choked on water, Joker."

He sheepishly shrugged. Just when Katherine began to wash the soap off her back, his gaze suddenly dropped low and his brows furrowed. Shit.

Instantly going for covering, Katherine hugged her middle, twirling around and trying to hide the hideous stitches on her belly.

He gently grabbed her arms, slowly separating them. Katherine tried to fight back by stiffening her muscles, but he easily moved them out of the way. Blinking, Katherine gazed away as he eyed her injury through the heavy steam.

"Stop," she murmured, feeling insecurity creep its way inside her. "No," he evenly replied. Licking her lips, Katherine felt his fingers gently graze the head of the stitches in interest. She swallowed, feeling her stomach release a quiver.

"Are ya ashamed of 'em?" He asked through hooded lids. Katherine but nodded. He tilted his head to the side, slightly frowning. Then, shocking her out of her senses, he dropped to one knee and flicked his tongue out, tracing it across her belly.

Katherine jumped and shrieked at the same time. Not to mention shuddered and felt completely weak in the knees. Grabbing his shoulders, she gently pushed him away.

"W-What are you doing?" She asked through widened eyes. He formed a cheeky smile without the parting of his lips, and said, "Do ya feel insecure no_w_?"

More than ever.

But she knew what he meant and, leisurely, Katherine shook her head. "Come on," she whispered, her throat suddenly too tight. "Get up," she smiled.

Leisurely he rose, his tanned body hovering over her. That was when, accidently, Katherine's gaze dropped low and, to her relieve, she spotted a sign of black boxers.

Still, her cheeks heated, and she quickly looked away, clearing her throat as she did so. Grabbing the shampoo, she squeezed the lime out and rose on her tip-toes.

"Ya don't have to," the Joker grumbled. Rolling her eyes, Katherine said, "But I will."

"Ya can barely reach me."

"Beat it."

Forming a tiny smile, Katherine began to rub his scalp smoothly. He narrowed his eyes at her, those brown lashes fusing together. He looked rather too deadly, but Katherine was enjoying this moment, hence she completely ignored it.

His strands were, surprisingly, smooth. Almost silky, gently slipping through her fingers as she spread the shampoo. The curls carelessly fell on his shoulders, clearly grown in the past few months.

Humming a random melody, Katherine massaged his head, running her fingers across his scalp back and forth.

"I like your hair," she uttered as she slid it back with a slide of her fingers. "I like it _t_oo," he retorted.

Rolling her eyes, Katherine decided to speak business. "I had a session with Harleen. I told her what you wanted me to."

That caught his attention and his eyes slightly gleamed in mischief. "_A_y-ya-_yay_. Do tell, little Kitty-Ka_t_," he cocked his face to the side.

She grinned. "It worked. She was literally quiet the entire session after I uttered those words. But I wonder," she pursed her lips. "Why did it affect her so much?"

"W_eeee_ll," he drawled, licking his scars. "It's because I told her the same thing."

Katherine gave her eyebrows a slight jump. "Wait a damn minute," she stared up at him in confusion. "So you're telling me you know her? I mean, talked to her? How? When? What the fuck?"

He rolled his eyes, releasing a long sigh out. "_N_ow, no_w_," he sucked his inner scars. "Why so rude, Ki_tt_y-Kat? She's my psychiatrist too, ya know?"

"Woah, what? Really?"

"_Oui, oui_," he pursed his lips, staring at her through hooded lids. "Ya have your session with her right after mine, that's why we, uh, meet in the hallway and all."

Katherine smiled at herself. "Ha," she said, her brows slightly furrowing. "No wonder. But why didn't you come today?" She asked next, looking back at him.

"Changed my timings."

"Who?" Katherine frowned.

"Who do ya think?" He rolled his eyes. She growled. "Damn assholes." But she wondered why.

Shaking her head, Katherine said, "Now close your eyes if you don't want them to feel like they were in the depths of Hell."

The Joker obeyed and closed his lids, allowing those long lashes to curve against his cheeks. And my, were they long. _I want._

As the water rushed above their heads, she started washing away the shampoo, watching as small bubbles trailed down his features and past the curve of his cheeks and down his lips.

The water dripped down to his ragged scars, causing them to glimmer in the most delicious way possible.

Katherine shuffled his strands and gently dragged her fingers down, trying to remove the shampoo. All the while, the Joker stood with his eyes closed, not emitting anything other than silence.

"Okay," she said, shuffling his strands once more and smiling. "You can open your eyes."

He opened them ever so gently, causing tiny water droplets to fall from his lashes. She stared at him in admiration and mostly awe, wondering how a beautiful creation he was.

"Ya s_t_are a lot," he huskily purred.

"You talk too much," she repeated his exact words. The Joker slowly grinned, causing her breath to hitch. Damn it. She had to stop. Grabbing the soap, she put it under the running water and rubbed it between her hands, causing bubbles to form.

Putting it back on the stand, she started rubbing his back. "You can do the front, you lazy cat."

"Cat," he murmured under his breath and slightly chuckled. "I_rrr_onic."

Katherine rolled her eyes, changing her position to his back. His back was broad and leanly muscled, causing her mouth to unconsciously water.

Clearing her throat, Katherine rubbed her palms across his back, admiring how his muscles responded to her sensitive strokes. She smiled, spreading the soap across his broad shoulders and leisurely massaging.

The Joker did his front and lower body, his movements sometimes causing her hand to slip. "Seriously," she huffed. "_You_ stay still."

He emitted a _brrr_ sound through his lips and washed the soap off his body. Katherine backed away and watched as he shook his head, whipping the strands from side to side as he washed his face.

"Can I ask you something?" Katherine leaned on the marbled wall.

"Nope," he smacked his lips.

"How did you get your scars?"

"_Ea_rned them," he corrected, nearly forming a rhetorical laugh. Katherine slightly frowned. "Okay," she drawled. "How'd you earn them?"

"Some I don't remember. Too, uh, long ago y'know? A_nnn_d the others, hm," he smacked his lips. "From the _Batman_."

"The _Batman_," Katherine mimicked a growling expression, slightly baring her teeth.

"The _Batman_," the Joker purred back in the same manner.

Katherine formed a short laugh and looked away.

"Where did ya, uh, get yours from, mm?" The Joker suddenly asked. Katherine suddenly froze, her tongue unable to form words.

Then, "Oh, mine? Um... I got them from some thugs who thought they were cool and stuff."

"Even that scar on yer belly?" He tossed her a glance from over his shoulder. Katherine blinked, then swallowed hard, the memory coming back to her as clear as the day. Her mood suddenly dropped, her shoulders sulking in a depressed manner.

"No. I mean yeah," she murmured. "That was from... another thug."

"Did ya kill him?" He surprised her with another question.

"Um..." she licked her lips, looking elsewhere. "Yes," Katherine uneasily replied.

"Hm," he turned to her, pursing his lips as he nodded. "Good."

Katherine was slightly taken aback by his response but didn't say anything. Good, he'd said. Katherine, out of all things, felt a small smile form. He didn't jump to judgement but rather supported her without hearing the whole story. It made her pleased in ways she couldn't explain how.

Katherine washed herself once more and draped the white towel around her body and stepped out of the shower stall. The Joker followed suit with a towel hanging low on his hips and both exited the washing room.

Katherine tossed a quick glance at him, saw him picking at his skin on his forearm, gently smiled, and looked away, feeling her chest lighten and spark with every step she took.

-x-

Katherine smugly smiled at her doctor when he growled in frustration and stormed out of her office. Maybe it had something to do with her spitting the pills he gave her right at his face.

She shrugged, twirling around and jumping down on her mattress. Her door hissed open and he stepped in with a guard. She rolled her eyes.

"Bring it, Doctor Shit."

"Hold her down, Eric. Don't let her escape or move a muscle." Her doctor stormed up to her and tightly grabbed her jaw. Katherine hissed, her throat releasing a growl out. "Don't touch me," she warned in a mushy accent due to her cheeks being pressed. It sounded pretty pathetic but her warning was laced with venom, and her doctor knew it all too well.

He tilted her head up, commanding Katherine sternly, "Open your mouth, van Hugh."

"Make me." She grinned. "And talking about not moving any muscles, I'm moving about three hundred right now. Your guard sucks."

"Eric!" Her doctor shouted in impatience. Katherine suppressed a laugh. The guard grabbed her hands behind her back and pushed down one bulky leg atop her thighs, thus preventing any escape. Katherine narrowed her eyes. Her doctor smiled.

"Open," her doctor breathed out on her face. "Up."

"En," Katherine retorted smugly. "Oh."

Growling, he suddenly forced the dull pill into her mouth, tilting her face completely up so she could forcefully swallow it. Katherine drew her tongue back and caught the pill below it, thus preventing it from slipping down her throat. After a few minutes, she faked a swallow, her throat gradually moving up, and then down.

Her doctor smiled in victory, thus ordering the guard to release her with a tilt of his chin. And he called himself a doctor, Katherine nearly snorted. This was one of the oldest tricks in the book. The guard released her and stepped back, but not too far. Katherine glared at her doctor just to pressure the atmosphere, her eyes boring invisible holes on his. After a few heartbeats, he looked away, gesturing she rise with a wave of his hand.

"Lunch time," he plainly stated. Katherine rose and followed him out, her hands cuffed before her figure and the dull pill still below her tongue.

It wasn't after the ride to the cafeteria, and her doctor allowing Katherine to pass the last door into the food court, she decided it was time he knew.

Turning around, she gave him one of her sweetest smiles, saying, "Hey, Doc."

He glanced at her.

"Here."

With that, Katherine spat the pill right out, and slipping through the open door, she blew him a kiss.

Before he could go through the door too, Katherine quickly slammed it shut. And before he could slide his ID to unlock the door, Katherine was already disappearing into the crowd of criminals. Through the crowd, she spotted his priceless, red and infuriated face, and waved. He spotted her and snarled. With that, Katherine was gone.

Well played, van Hugh. I'm so proud of you. She gave herself a mental pat on the back.

Grabbing a tray, Katherine picked the same things she chose the last time. Clacking her tongue, she twirled around and gazed, trying to find an empty spot. Like the last time, it was full. It's not like this place even had nice food.

Before her smart ass brain could retort a logical reply, saying it's better than nothing and that they had no choice, she shut herself up. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. Look, babe. Let's see if we can spottie a placie and sittie."

She had no idea what she just said but ignored it nonetheless.

After a few lookovers, Katherine suddenly gasped, realizing that there was a vacant table and that was where the cool people sat. How could she?

Huffing, Katherine strolled forth, her heart hammering against her chest like a psycho. This feeling would be the death of her someday, she knew it.

Passing by some standing criminals, Katherine spotted the back of a lean figure sitting alone at a table. There he is.

Grinning, Katherine tip-toed her way to the silent figure of the Joker, her teeth digging on the flesh of her lower lip in childish giddiness.

When she was at his reach, she quickly put down her tray, causing the Joker to look at it, and instantly covered his eyes with her hands.

With a deep, manly voice, Katherine sternly asked, "Guess who?"

For minutes, the Joker sat in silence, kind of causing Katherine to frown. Maybe this was a bad way of approaching him. Has she failed? Katherine nearly pouted.

"Hm." He suddenly said, leaning back. Slowly he turned on his seat—with Katherine's hands still covering his eyes—and blinked. His lashes brushed her skin and nearly tickled it, causing Katherine to bite her lip.

Suddenly, his cuffed hands reached out and, instead of going at her hands (as Katherine expected), they went to her sides and tickled, causing her to erupt a sudden giggle.

"Why hello _th_ere, Ki_tt_y-Ka_t_." The Joker huskily murmured. Katherine rolled her eyes, smiling as she did so, and removed her hands. "Damn you," she muttered, sitting down next to him. "I should've never showered with you."

"How nice." A sudden male voice erupted next to them, causing Katherine to suddenly yelp and look up. "You made a friend."

Scarecrow—AKA Jonathan Crane—stood next to their table with a tray in his hands. Katherine literally gaped up at him. "Is that really," she whispered, her fingers brushing his hands to check if he was, indeed, real. "Jonathan Crane?"

The Joker slapped her hand away from the Scarecrow's. Smacking his lips, he bluntly retorted a, "Yeah."

"Huh." Katherine said, giving her attention back to her food. "How weird."

"How weird, indeed, little cat." He smugly smirked. Katherine whipped around, facing him in disbelief while the Joker suddenly started cackling.

"How do you know my name?" She hissed.

"Ya too?" The Joker heaved out a laughter, his upper body leaning on the table as he pointed a finger up at Jonathan Crane.

Scarecrow simply looked confused. "I do not understand this sudden outburst, hence I'll blast it."

"Blast it you won't, asshole!" Katherine stood up, slamming her hand down. She glanced at the Joker. "Did you tell him my name?" She narrowed her eyes when the Joker leaned back and put his palms up in innocence.

"Your name is cat?" Jonathan asked in a smug tone. Katherine growled, and nearly rolled her eyes. "It's Katherine. You called me little cat while this hyena here," she pointed at the Joker, "calls me Kitty-Kat."

Jonathan nodded, his plump lips forming into a line of understanding. "Suits you."

"So, you don't know my name, then?" She asked in confusion.

Jonathan shook his head slightly, as though he hadn't heard of her name until this moment. "No," he simply stated and sat down.

"Oh." Katherine said, sitting down as well, and feeling like a complete fool. "Pardon me for my outburst then, Scarecrow."

Just when she uttered his nickname, the atmosphere seemed to suddenly change, and the plain, nonchalant Jonathan seemed to go and by his place seemed to be another man. An evil smirk took over his lips as he leisurely gazed at her though the eyes of a true maniac, and, almost too softly, said, "Thank you for calling me by my real name, Katherine."

Katherine arched a brow up. "You are..." she frowned. "Welcome."

He formed a fast smile and turned his attention to his food.

"So dem doctors finally let ya out, hm?" The Joker leaned on the table.

"You wouldn't comprehend the things I did to them, Mr. Joker," Crane smirked as if in a job well done. The Joker inwardly hissed in satisfaction.

"Told ya they were wea_k_-uh."

"Weak they were. And _oo_h," Jonathan mimicked an expression of being touched by fire. "Their fears were such tasteful meals for my eyes."

The Joker smacked his lips, and sucked at his inner cheeks to play a little with his ragged scars. Katherine avoided their topic and instead concentrated on eating her meal. She was dead hungry, and clearly a little woozy from a lack of energy.

She ate her mashed potatoes, pickles, and lettuce in mere five minutes and drowned down her water.

"This girl eats fast." Jonathan eyed her.

"Our Ki_tt_y-Kat is like that, ya s_e_e." The Joker leaned back and randomly studied the crowd of prisoners. Katherine pushed away her tray and gazed at the Joker's. He noticed her eager eyes and met her gaze with an arch of his brow.

"Can I," she pointed at his tray. "Have yours?"

"Nope." Was the answer without a seconds squander.

"But you never eat it!" Katherine nearly whined.

"And I won't. Go refill your plate, girly."

In childish anger, Katherine stared at him stubbornly. Then, "Fine. Just don't ask if you could have some because I won't give you."

"This woman clearly knows how to threaten a man, Mr. Joker." Jonathan tsked in obvious mockery. Katherine cast him a smug smile. "Same goes for you, Mr. I-Can-Scare-Everyone."

"But I do scare everyone." He plainly retorted.

"You don't scare me," Katherine grinned. Crane arched a black brow at her, as though daring her to say it one more time. And resay it she would. "You," Katherine leaned on the table and mouthed the words, "Don't scare me."

"Is that so?" He leaned on the table as well, his dark, maniacal eyes boring into hers.

The silence between them seemed to stretch and scream, and Katherine almost saw Crane's shadow rise from behind him and spread above her like a tower, almost crushing her with its ferocity. She felt the evil and felt the chilly air brush against her skin, maybe even heard evil laughter erupt from the shadows, but Katherine refused to feel the fear.

Jonathan Crane was scary, yes. But did he scare her? Not quite. Not as much as the hyena that sat next to her. Katherine didn't know what or why, but she did feel some forbidden emotion towards him even she couldn't put her finger on. And _that_ scared her.

"You amuse me, little cat. I wonder why," Crane smoothly said and leaned back on his chair almost professionally.

"I amuse myself sometimes too." Katherine retorted and suddenly stiffened at her words. The Joker seemed to notice the indirect meaning as well because he suddenly fought a smile. "I didn't mean in that manner, I mean I don't-I wasn't-shit!"

Slamming her hand down on the table, Katherine rose from her seat. Jonathan seemed confused as he stared up at her.

"Fuck you." She pointed at him and turned on her heels to hide her blush. Without another word, she went to the food stance while at the same time ignoring the Joker's boyish chuckle.

That dirty minded freak, Katherine huffed. You dirty minded idiot, she commented at herself. Now they'll think you a lustful freak who can't contain her desires. But dammit she wasn't like that!

Pouting and sniffing back the sadness wallowing up inside her, Katherine got an empty plate and slapped the mashed potatoes against the hard surface rather too roughly. Grabbing pickles and lettuce, she made her way back to the cool peoples table. But this time, she took her time.

Without selling out any emotion, Katherine sat down and started eating.

"Pardon me if I offended you in a manner you found distasteful, little cat. But do explain your outburst," Crane suggested as he interlaced his fingers before him on the table.

"Look dude, it's not your fault. Drop it." Katherine chewed her food.

"Than you owe me an explanation for your earlier insult."

"I owe you an apology, idiot. Now go away, I want to eat."

"Why were you blushing, little cat?" Crane pressed further.

Katherine suddenly stabbed her mashed potatoes and worked her jaw in irritation. The Joker examined her in slight amusement before he turned to Crane and opened his mouth to speak. Katherine suddenly knew exactly what he was going to say and leapt out of her chair and covered his mouth.

"Don't you dare!" She warned. The Joker grabbed her hand and slammed it on the table. Katherine winced, feeling her palm ache below his wide hand. Although she liked the contact, like a lot, Katherine couldn't risk her innocence. Because she was _innocent_. What the hell was she thinking, and how had this situation turned madly wrong?

She tried to remove her hand from below his, but he pressed it harder into the metal surface. Hence, Katherine used her other hand, and tried to cover his mouth. Before it even reached his lips, the Joker slammed it on the table as well and held both her hands in a tight clasp.

Katherine panicked. "Joker, don't you dare! I will kill you, I swear it."

He arched a brow at her. "Ya su_r_e?"

"Yes."

He suddenly grinned. "Sha_ll_ we?" He asked with such mischief in his eyes, Katherine was at loss of words.

He turned his head to the confused Crane and smacked his lips, preparing to give the most humiliating speech in Katherine's life. She panicked, and not knowing what to do when his lips moved seemed to push her over the edge of self control. Her logical side abandoned her and everything seemed to happen rather too fast.

Katherine acted abruptly, not having enough time to even think about what she was about to do.

With desperate determination to silence him, Katherine did the only thing she could think about at the moment.

She silenced him with a kiss against the lips.

-x-

_**AN**_: _Sorry, was I too harsh to leave it hanging right there? If so, mission accomplished. Tell me what you think, you awesome viewers!_ :)

_Thank you:_** Cleareyes25, SammieLee, Erik-is-my-angel1234, Mandie, ApolloNico24601** _and_ **Tracey** _for your reviews! _


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